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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29531697">Kimetsu no Yaiba: an Adventure tale, Part 1</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allison2355/pseuds/Allison2355'>Allison2355</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Based on a Tumblr Post, Demon Slayer: Kitmetsu no Yaiba Manga References, Inspired By Tumblr, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Original Character(s), References to InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:08:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>42,555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29531697</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allison2355/pseuds/Allison2355</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the story begins with Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane, a 24-year-old young man who falls into a well in an abandoned shrine after his boyfriend, Adam was missing, falling into an argument. He is magically transported to a land named Altea, a dimension surrounded by magical creatures called daemons, where he meets the half daemon named Keith who helps him try to adapt to this world and protect the quintessence Crystal that was embedded in his right arm while discovering the first true love of his life and finding things that are important to him as well as trying to defend the planet, while Keith on the other hand, is dealing with a betrayal that seals him to a tree for the years to come and the loss of his lover. Because of that, he's planning to become a full deamon to defeat the Galra Empire.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Keith (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One, Prologue: Altea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A long time ago or years ago on a winter day where the snowfall as coldness wind is blowing up where any man, woman, or child had ever been in places, It probably just seemed like a normal day. Farmers were going about, tending to their fields and livestock. The women were out doing their laundry. The children frolicked and laughed as they ran about in the streets.</p><p>But this wasn't an ordinary place it was in another dimension of a planet called Altea. In this beautiful world was the home of daemons, the benevolent spirits of nature of the planet itself or sometimes the mortals' inner-self and living separately from mortals that also lived on the planet as well, among all this beauty and wonder of a world, dwell a kingdom called Arus and in this kingdom was habitant by. </p><p>The mysterious people known as Alteans, they were daemons too who valued diplomacy, sheltering and helping the weak, respectfully other races, you can stay to bind the way of finding peace of the world, but it wasn't the home of them you see, it also the home of an ancient powerful Crystal, known at the quintessence Crystal, it that had the power to turn daemons to the strongest and powerful beings of nature, strong enough to rule the world. </p><p>Yes...everything seemed relatively peaceful on this day...until it happened. </p><p>"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" cried a man as he ran through the streets. "HE IS ATTACKING THE VILLAGE!" </p><p>Not long after the villager crier appeared, the villagers gasped as they spotted a blur of red, flying through the sky. It appeared to be a young man, neither a human nor a beast, born into this world by a chance of fate: a half-daemon, who has learned all about the power that the Crystal had, it too will turn him into a full daemon. </p><p>"Outta my way!" he shouted as he leaped through the air, over the crowds of fleeing Alteans. Some tried to bind him down with rope nets, but he easily sliced through them with his dagger. </p><p>"Get him, get the boy", they said, screaming their heads off as they tried to capture again him in the process. But surprisingly, his speed was no match for them to handle along with his fighting style since their swords, spears, shields, and guns were no good to stop him.</p><p>Eventually, he soon got away from them into a clearing and crashed through the roof of a . Where traps were set everywhere. But soon, he found it: a blue, marble-sized crystal, glistening in all its splendor as it hung from a beaded rosary...and it was exactly what he came for.</p><p>"The quintessence crystal," said the boy as he went up and snatched it from its pedestal. "Finally...it's all mine!" He said with an arrogant grin on his face.</p><p>"Halt, invader! Drop the crystal!"</p><p>The boy turned, only to dodge the many Gunshots that were being fired at him as he went outside with the crystal and unknowingly activates the traps that were outside the chamber, however with his speed, he dodgers the traps escaping with it but the chamber got blown up covered in flames and burn to the ground, but it wasn't the only thing that got destroyed, Arus's buildings got to burn to the ground, caused by the traps.</p><p>Despite this destruction, he felt no remorse or no care for the world for his actions of grabbing the crystal escape with joyful eyes "it was too easy, now I can help him", he said, dazed as he left Arus to its fate. However, he is going to pay the price for his actions, against the Alteans. Once he tries to escape into the forest of Arus in the darkness of night, with the Crystal in tow. He suddenly heard a sound, like someone who felt angry and betrayed, and launched a single exorcising arrow met its mark.</p><p>"STOP, KEITH" it shouted, with so much thunder that turned his eyes to see the one who fired it, a girl. One who holds the power to see what others cannot see, to hear what others cannot hear: a beautiful woman with voluptuous white hair and wearing a beautiful white dress, light blue coat with a navy blue shawl, enraged as him with arrows on her shoulders, a fighting stance for shooting, she launches her arrow, zipped it took out and soon it shot at his left shoulder, pinning him to a large tree behind him. Because of this, to his sudden shock, the crystal slipped out of his hand and fell into the ground.</p><p>"...A...Allura...?" the boy now known as Keith asked, feeling his strength leaving him...and for some reason, his voice carried the subtle hints of betrayal. "But...but why? I..Why did..you do...it" He then sighed as his body soon went limp and his eyes closed.</p><p>Once the villagers seemed at ease, enough, they approached the daemon boy, but they didn't get too close, for fear of his awakening. But their problems didn't stop there, there now a Fire surrounding them and their homes.</p><p>On top of that, across from the tree stood Allura, the current priestess of Arus, her bow still up for her for a final time as a deep gash of blood on her right shoulder, once her enemy captured and defeated, although as she picked up the Crystal, the girl's face was colored by deep sorrow. </p><p>"Is...is he dead?" asked a young man.</p><p>"I don't know," said an older man.</p><p>"...He's...not dead..." Allura spoke up as she approached the villagers as her Injury to take over her. </p><p>"L-Lady Allura!" cried one of the men as he went to her side along with the other Alteans, with all their faces whiten by the scene she was in, falling to the ground, bleeding heavily and exhausted from the process.</p><p>"Allura?"</p><p>Allura looked back and saw a young man run-up to her, he had a mustache on his face, but he was around her age. </p><p>"Allura! What happened how did you got hurt!" He asked, kneeled towards her as he saw the wound in horror.</p><p>"Coran," Allura said as she forced herself to smile at the young man, gently cupping his face as the white-haired woman spoke, ignored his worries about her, talking to herself and at the destruction took place.</p><p>"This is my fault for that he did this to our home...my ignorance, my feelings have resulted in Arus to..." She gestured in pain and look down where the Crystal lay.</p><p>"It's not your fault, It was Keith! He was the one who did this!" cried Coran".</p><p>"The Crystal." She thought with concern. All this destruction was caused by this. </p><p>"Allura, we must tend to your wound!" Coran says with worries but soon he was suddenly cut off by her as she answered. "It's too late...I've lost too much blood. I'm not long for this world...but Arus is not".</p><p>"What do you mean?" Coran whimpered as he helps Allura stand up.</p><p>"Coran!..." Allura said, looking at Coran with a look of seriousness and the urge to stand up on her own, despite feeling pain. "Listen to me...I'm gonna take the Crystal and burn it with my body. It must never be allowed to fall in the hands of those who will abuse it, especially with our enemies" she spoke with these final words to Coran and her people, so with the last of her straight, she walked into the remains of Arus's fire and fell in. </p><p>Coran stared wide-eyed in horror at the scene. "A-Allura?....ALLURA!". He screamed in grief.</p><p>Within her final moments, she said. "I will take this Crystal to another world". With that, she was gone as Arus has continued burning, however she wasn't the only person that was gone on that day, a sudden corpse of a young man that was burned along with Allura. </p><p>As the Alteans mourned the loss of the priestess that they cherished so dearly, one woman glared up at Keith, whose body remained pinned to the tree with this almost peaceful look on his face.</p><p>"...I hope you're satisfied, you damn, detestable half-breed!" he shouted. "Lady Allura lost her life because of you! Let's hope the hands of time take you to death!" </p><p>For good measure, she even spits in the boy's face before she turned away the alteans.</p><p>Following this disaster to days to come of that winter day, but 50 years later and the season changes, to summer to spring and to fall. Where in another world in another time like sand and water, time flowed on until a little cry from a newborn baby boy was born and unknowing to him in the time, he had a little surprise for him and someone still waiting for him in time in a deep sleep. </p><p>This was a story of long ago...</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two: Earth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In the present, on earth, Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane just has a completely normal day, but things take an unexpected turn when he had a strange dream.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>10th, June 2083, In Plaht City. </p><p>In this day and age, you expected that is the future, which it was, everything was no longer polluted, thanks to clean energy but that didn't replace the sounds of blaring car horns, roaring motors of motorcycles, and the chattering of the people that were moving about the concrete streets with towering skyscrapers and supermarkets from which people would buy their food and people got around on foot, by bicycle, by car, by bus, or by metro train. Or in this case, hover riding. </p><p>That was the case in the city in the desert, which has beautifully high futuristic skyscrapers that shine like the sunlight, that sets at the end of the day. Along with the blistering hot air.  </p><p>Yes, the way of Altea is truly a thing of fantasy and myth as time gave way to the modern age. However, even as the world continues to modernize and advance...some things in this world never changed. </p><p>Take a young man for example, who was at the age of twenty-four who goes by the name Takashi Shirogane or Shiro for short, was riding his hovercraft through the desert City toward his job, the Galaxy Garrison with his hair blowing in the wind. </p><p>After arriving there and parking his hovercraft "Hey, Takashi" a voice called him.</p><p>"Adam," Shiro replied exciting and walking towards him to kiss him. </p><p>As a couple, the two men looked as different as night and day: Shiro with his dark hair styled in an undercut and his taller herculean physique along with piercing dark gray eyes, and Adam, with his light brown hair, half-frame with brown eyes, a somewhat-triangular jaw. </p><p>As Adam held him to share a kiss on the lip. </p><p>"Thank you," Shiro said, after kissing him. </p><p>"No problem, after all, we're Junior officers now," Adam bragging. </p><p>He was right after 4 years of experience in the field of work and study about becoming an astroexplorer along with breaking records for the highest speed up the top of the food chain of command in Shiro's case. So much fun with, since he could remember. His parents were killed in a car accident as a baby and adopted by his grandfather.</p><p>In a black world that was covered in stars, a man crowded in the darkness along with his friends, confronted an unknown force, from somewhere come to the high, clear echo of a drop of water striking the surface of a calm pool. </p><p>Some will believe it was a cave, but it wasn't, it never was, a crimson light blossom from the distance, the flames flickering and twisted, shifted in shape and form. </p><p>The conflagration climbed up higher than before, casting long shadows into the gloom and doom-the shadows of men, carrying guns and war machines, marching in rows but ordinary men they were aliens, being that came from outer space, normally you would see them Syfy show or movie, but they leaped and pranced as they run from the fire. </p><p>Next to them were war robots or sentries were also part of the lines, the unexpected traits within them were purple fur over most of their skin, seamlessly blending in with the hair on their scalps. They also possess beastly facial features that vary extensively, ranging from mammalian-like humans to reptilian and the shades of purple fur and red markings, or dark spines and scales. They are diverse in their appearance. </p><p>They whirled like dervishes, reared, and raked the air with killing intent, it makes the group feel like they're in hell and people whipping themselves into an ecstatic fervor but even if they danced and spun around, their attention remain focused on them. </p><p>Four hundred yards away from them and their mad and murderous intent beat against them like a hard wind, the leader at the head of the army opened its wide mav in a commanding voice "charge". </p><p>They herd nothing but knowing they have each other by their side, with that the only sound of a drop of water,  breaking the quiet surface of a lake.</p><p>The man could not tear his gaze from the rushing shadows "when they reach us" he knew without a shadow of a doubt how dangerous it is, "but I know we're okay" and he was right because the group he was with, knew how to fight, in the time he watched, the army had pressed a hundred yards away, but the man shouted, "for Altea". And soon both sides collide. </p><p>Shiro awoke with a start, it was later on that day, Shiro had already put his satchel underneath his chair and finished up his notes on his latest recruitment for the Garrison, "a dream..." He said out loud. </p><p>Hearing his voice confirming he was indeed awake, it must be a dream, a fairly odd dream, Shiro turned his gaze around his office, looking around he looked at the notes of the next endurance, even if he hates the recruitment circuit. The number of universities he checked off only served to remind him that his application for Kerberos had been stewing for weeks now. But it didn't matter, it was nice to new cadets for the garrison, students he met helped bolster his spirits for a time. </p><p>But still, there were the dreams that he's been getting, they started about a month ago, in the beginning, he had seen nothing but a battlefield, hearing the screams of those who are facing against the darkness, at the first time in five nights ago he remembers waking up screaming his head off, it was almost as if like was coming after him and stab him unexpectedly. </p><p>For three nights now, he understood what the dreams meant, the rising darkness of war might be his inner self talking to him trying to tell him that things are not going to change for him they'll never will.  </p><p>But thankfully, an incoming call flashed on his comm. His heart leaped. He kept his voice steady enough to acknowledge the summon to Admiral Sanda's office, finally, The waiting will end and maybe the dreams will end. </p><p>He could hardly stop himself from breaking into a sprint on his way there. His brisk pace through the halls of the command wing nonetheless earned him a few upturned eyebrows. He didn't care.</p><p>He greeted the reception with what he hoped was a casual nod. He brushed down his coat and touched up his lock of hair as he waited in the reception room. </p><p>"The Admiral will see you now," the receptionist said, waving him through. "thank you," Shiro said as he left the room, Admiral Sanda sat reclined behind her desk as he entered, thumbing through some text-heavy document on her tablet. She set it down on the desk and stood when Shiro approached. </p><p>"Shirogane. Thank you for coming on short notice."</p><p>"Admiral," he greeted, saluting before sitting down. </p><p>"At ease, Shiro. I'm afraid we have something sensitive to discuss." Shiro's face fell at that, "Sensitive? it's about my physical tests". </p><p>"It's about your application for the Kerberos mission. As you are aware, the Garrison will be in charge of transportation and escort for Dr. Holt and his assistant out into space." </p><p>"Yes, I am. What about my application?, do I need to make some changes,". Shiro asked. While growing up Dr. Holt was his father's best friend and because of that, he helped him and his grandfather, before he passed away.</p><p>Sanda's flat expression swiftly douses his enthusiasm. She informs him, "no you do not but you are sick and should not be sent out to another mission, especially as far away as Kerberos, so we're deferring you until we can get this sorted out." </p><p>His throat constricted. His heart flip-flopped in his chest. A slick, clammy feeling flooded under his collar. His gaze settled on the desk, unable to meet her eyes. "Admiral, this is a complete shock, actually. I know I am the best qualified for this". Shiro protests, "I know I can, I have been preparing for this my whole life". </p><p>"Your doctors had updated about your condition", Sanda explained. He snapped. "Because it's not relevant. I can do the mission," Shiro insisted.</p><p>Sanda chewed the inside of her lip. She then said, "A lot is riding on the success of this mission as much you think, that is why I report it to flight command you could be out there for a very long time."</p><p>"With all due respect, I am aware of the stakes. Tell me, is there something the matter with my qualifications?" Shiro shot back, complained. </p><p>"Of course not. You are exemplary and you should be thinking to do when you're on time." Sanda said</p><p>"Then why are we having this discussion? madam." Shiro protests as he reeled, stunned as if slapped on the cheek. "Look? With all due respect sir, the only one in charge of what I do with my time is me. I have considered this. I have considered this for so many long, agonizing months. You have no idea how sick I am of hearing about why I should hold myself back!" Shiro complaining angrily. </p><p>"Shirogane, watch yourself," Sanda started, but stopped as her eyes fell shut. "Look, I'm sorry this has been such difficult news to take." Shiro Watched, everything began to crashing down upon him. </p><p>"But, madam!" Shiro said. </p><p>"You are dismissed, I'll let you know what they decide."<br/>
Shiro blinked, shaking as he reined in a furious cry. Disappointment churned in his chest, wanting to burst out like an infected boil. He nearly forgot to salute before he spun on his heel and dashed out. </p><p>Those upturned eyebrows scrutinize him once more as he stomped like an ogre through the Garrison halls back to quarters. He didn't care. Since he was born, he has had a rare disease and has been getting worse over the years so has been limiting his missions ever since. </p><p>Afternoon. "Well, I'm off! bye, Johnny, Shiro said, sad farewell to a follows officer before heading to the door to leave. "bye Shiro! Have a good night at home!", He grinned back at him before heading outside, adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder, and gets on his hovercraft. the young man was about to start his ride home. "I may not have I had another mission again," he thought. "but that doesn't mean I'm going to give up" with that not the way he starts his hovercraft in the Darkness of the night. </p><p>Returning to the city, Shiro made his way to a flower store, to get flowers of Sierra for a certain location, a place that he can once use for comfort and home.</p><p>But only that, it was going to be a life-changing event forever.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three: Mistress centipeetle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After the disastrous day at the Garrison, Shiro went to the only place where he felt at peace, his old childhood home,  but things take an unexpected turn when a monstrous centipede woman pulls him down the old well on his family's property.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Later into the afternoon, where everybody was going home for the day, but all the while, Shiro arrived at the gates of the old rusty fences with Flowers in his hands before arriving here.  </p><p>In the meantime, Adam watched Shiro leave out of Admiral Sanda in frustration, feeling something's wrong, Adam arrived at the same place where Shiro was visiting, four minutes later. </p><p>Pushing the gates, the old building was a shrine, originally it used to be the childhood of Shiro as well as a family business but it was shut down after his grandfather died, and due to lack of people and souvenirs, despise this, Shiro was still happy<br/>
growing up here.  </p><p>He remembers the time that a transparent jewel glittered as it reflected the sun through the paper door. </p><p>"The quintessence Crystal?" Shiro said, back when he was around the age of 8</p><p>"That's right! With this, not only will we be protected from danger, but our business will be even more prosperous!" his grandfather replied in a serious tone while holding up some sort of charm in his hand. </p><p>"And we're selling these glass marbles?" asked Shiro in a bit of a deadpan tone.</p><p>"Are you listening, child?" asked his grandfather, causing Shiro to sigh.</p><p>He could kind of understand why his grandfather was so intent on teaching him these kinds of things. After all, Shiro's old house was a shrine called the Shirogane Shrine. According to the signboards that his grandfather had placed around the grounds, it had quite the history, apparently had quite the imagination, acclaimed it had all kinds of legends from the universe. It wasn't a major enough shrine to be included in any of the tourist guidebooks, but it was known to the locals and people would come during the summer festivals or the New Years' shrine visits. those moments were great and treasures for Shiro, except for his grandfather's space stories.  </p><p>"Now listen carefully, Shiro," said his grandfather, From days of long ago, from uncharted regions of the universe, the quintessence Crystal was..."</p><p>"Oh boy, here he goes again..." Shiro let out a small sigh. </p><p>Back then, when Shiro tried to pay attention, he just couldn't remember. He honestly didn't care, though. He felt that the past didn't matter...As life was nature, it's always changing like the seasons as has it always been for this shrine. Since has been forgotten, people began to spray paint over the buildings and forest life had taken over, and in the backyard was a very tall 500-year-old bristlecone known as the great Tree, surrounding the tree were small garden stones symbols that spread in a<br/>
circle. There was also an old dry well in the old well house next to the shrine that had its legend. Pretty much everything at Shiro's house was legendary.  </p><p>Shiro knew about the symbols meant, Earth, water, fire, air, and balance. before crushing down to give the flowers on the ground. </p><p>"Adam, I know you are there". he said. </p><p>"Huh," Adam said in surprise, No surprise there, Shiro has a heightened ability to sense people, animals, and objects.</p><p>"Bad day?" Adam asked, </p><p>"Yeah," Shiro replied, mumbled out as he rises. </p><p>"What'd Sanda say?" Adam asked. </p><p>"The Mission, the Kerberos one. Sanda what me out of the Mission. She had the nerve to say to me." Shiro said, annoying. </p><p>Adam said, "Maybe it's for the best, she is right, you only put yourself at risk". </p><p>A long pause lingered between them as the remark lanced through him, puncturing the swollen boil in his chest. A sudden rage exploded inside Shiro, and it poured out from his lips.</p><p>"It's for the best? It's for the best that for all their endless back-patting and praise for nothing, it's for the best that I don't ever get that I'm accomplished is for nothing except posing for recruitment brochures? It's for the best that I just wither away and die here, Is that it". </p><p>"That's not what I said nor what I meant, Takashi," Adam said, trying to calm him down. </p><p>"Save it, Adam I know what you're going to say," said Shiro. </p><p>"You don't know what I'm going to say!" Adam said, "After all,  HOW important am I to you?".  </p><p>"I...That not what I - " Shiro began, but Adam wasn't in the mood to hear Shiro defend himself. He walks from the tree to a set of stairs and ran out of Shiro's sights.</p><p>He walked down until he got a point to sit down and think about things since he was upset, which was a lot and nobody ever bothered him here, nobody except Shiro, anyway. Today, He hoped that Shiro would understand there are more important things.</p><p>"Every mission, every drill, I'm have been right there with him, but this is more than a mission, This is his life in sake". He asked himself. He starts to the sky, lost in thoughts for who knows low long. Around the time it started getting dark, he heard footsteps.</p><p>Shiro slumping down to sitting next to Adam. Adam turned from him. </p><p>"Look, I'm sorry," Shiro said, Trying to explain to him, "I know you're worried about me but happy and safe doesn't give my life meaning, Adam". </p><p>"I don't" Adam protected. "I'm so exhausted, you know? It's like you can't even see that you want to be happy and safe. That everyone does, for all you've given to them." Adam leaped from the stairs. He didn't want to be mad at Shiro but was possible. </p><p>As Adam walked back up the stairs, he stopped upon noticing a strange rumbling sound coming from the well house...and for some reason, he looked a bit nervous. </p><p>"Adam!" Shiro called, causing Adam to turn to look at him. </p><p>"What was that, did you hear that," Adam said, starred.  </p><p>"The well, it's coming from the well" Shiro asked Adam. </p><p>Shiro knew the story of the legend of the hidden well and was never allowed to enter. But with no hesitation. The two closer to the hut to figure out what the sound was but the doors were closed. </p><p>"How are we gonna get in," Adam said, starred. </p><p>Shiro said. "Why don't we go find out", he held out a key dangling from a metal ring. Adam was confused. it looked like the key to the hut that Shiro had. Since he once lived here. </p><p>"No way," Adam said. </p><p>"Way" Shiro replied as he was opening the doors. </p><p>Adam only shook his head, "I take it all back", Adam said, sarcastically. "you're officially crazy, I can't believe you going in!", </p><p>"Checking out", Shiro corrected him. "One look that's all!" </p><p>Shiro and Adam passed through the wooden door sealed off by the lock and the rusty chains and stepped into the small shrine. </p><p> A damp, cool air wrapped about Shiro's body. The inside of the shrine was always like this. It was like it belonged to a different world from the outside, always filled with its distinct atmosphere. </p><p>Down a staircase of about five steps, an old, wooden well was visible. The well was surrounded by bare ground, as the well was originally built outside, and the shrine was only erected later to shelter it. According to his grandfather's stories, the well had long since dried up and was now tightly sealed off with a heavy wooden lid, preventing anyone from looking inside. </p><p>Luckily they had their phones on, setting up the light. </p><p>"Ah, Takashi" Adam replied, as they walked down the stairs, only to see the boarded well in the center of the old hut but he jumped at the sound of footsteps from the floor. </p><p>" hello ~!" Shiro called. "Is someone there?"</p><p> No response except for the creaking of the old wood.</p><p>"I'm sure no one down there, somewhere," said Shiro.</p><p>"B-but Takashi," Adam began, "doesn't this place kinda creep you out?"</p><p>"What are you afraid of?" asked Shiro. "You're a man, aren't you?"</p><p>"Uhh..." Adam muttered, nervously, only to gasp upon hearing some sort of scratching sound, causing him to hide behind Shiro's shoulder. "S-s-something's down there!!" </p><p>"Who, no one has been down here!" Shiro asked, incredulously. </p><p>"Except for us!" Adam cried. </p><p>With that, they ventured down the stairs and looked around for the wayward person. </p><p>"Hello!" Shiro called. "Come out wherever you are!" </p><p>Just then, he heard the same scratching sound, causing her to look over to the well, where she saw the boards that closed it off seeming to move...and that's when she realized something.</p><p>"Wait...it's coming from the well?' he thought. 'No way...is...is there something inside there?" </p><p>Suddenly, he shrieked as he felt something brush up against his ankle, causing him to look down before he sighed in relief, for it was just a Munchkin cat with white and blue fur, dirty but not scary, "awe, what cat like you doing here" Shiro said as he was picked up the little animal, purring softly.</p><p> "Don't scream like that!!" Adam cried. "You scared me!!"</p><p>"Oh, sure," Shiro muttered, sarcastically. "See? I told you it was just a cat! Now let's go before we-"</p><p>Before he could finish that sentence, Adam narrowed his eyes at something behind Shiro before he gasped silently: the boards that closed off the well were cracked...and something was creeping out of it! </p><p>"Takashi! Behind you!" Adam cried. </p><p>"Oh, no, I'm not falling for- AAH!!" Shiro started, only to shriek as multiple arms suddenly reached up and grabbed him, causing him to look back and see a half-naked woman with long white hair with a green tinge that fades the bottom that covered her black halter neck net bra...and six arms! </p><p>"Takashi!!" Adam cried.</p><p>"W-what in the-?!" Shiro questioned as he struggled to get away as the woman pulled him down into the well. "H-hey! Let me go!!"  </p><p>"Takashi!!" Adam cried as he ran to Shiro's aid, desperately grabbing his hand and pulling as hard as he could, even pressing his shoes against the well to anchor himself. Shiro struggled as she looked down again...only to see something he wasn't prepared to see: the woman was connected to an extremely long skeleton...and it extends way down into the darkness!</p><p>"Oh, no...!" he whispered in horror before she looked to Adam who was struggling to pull him away from the woman's grasp. "Adam, stop! Let go! She'll pull you down with me!!"</p><p>"I can't, I..." before he could finish his sentence, an arm accidentally scared him on the right side of his face. </p><p>"Ahhhhhh" Adam Shirked in pain by the attack.  </p><p>"Adam" Shiro yelled, "What is this thing?!", Shiro tried to fight back, but it's dragged him towards the well with unbelievable strength. </p><p>The only thing he heard before being completely sucked in was Adam yelling out. "TAKASHI". </p><p>As for Shiro, he was falling through what seemed like endless darkness with the monstrous woman.</p><p>"What joy...!" she said in a somewhat raspy voice. "My strength...I feel it returning to me!" As she said this, green flesh began to form around her bare, dry bones...revealing the body of that of a centipede! </p><p>"A...a centipede lady?!" Shiro questioned.</p><p>"You..." the woman hissed as she opened her mouth, revealing a mouth full of fangs. "You have it...don't you, girl?" She then licked Shiro's cheek with a 12-inch-long tongue, causing him to shudder in disgust. </p><p>"Gross!!" he shouted. "Let me go!" </p><p>At that, Shiro pushed her hand against the centipede woman...and for some reason, a bright light seemed to flash from his palm that caused the monster to shriek in pain. The next thing Shiro knew, the woman had suddenly vanished, but the only trace of her that he found was her disembodied arm, which was still clinging to his sleeve.</p><p>"AAAAH!!" Shiro screamed as he smacked it off. "Nasty~!! Ohhh, I'm gonna need a shower~!!"</p><p> "I...won't lose it...!" a voice whispered, causing Shiro to gasp, for he realized it belonged to the centipede woman. "Not now...the quintessence Crystal...!"</p><p>"The... quintessence Crystal...?" Shiro asked before he suddenly felt himself drop down against the cold, shiny ground, where picked himself up from the good floor and grabbing his bag while remembering the quintessence Crystal... That was a crystal of mysterious power that was a legend at the Shirogane Shrine. The charm that his grandfather had shown him years ago was something made in the likeness of that legend.</p><p>"Wait...I'm still in the well?" he thought. "...Maybe I was dreaming." That's when he spotted the severed arm nearby, and it was still twitching. "...Or not."</p><p>"Adam! You're out there, aren't you?!" As Shiro shouted upward, sunlight shined at his face "Eh...?" When Shiro's face emerged, he couldn't believe his eyes. </p><p>But no answer. </p><p>Instead a white butterfly with wings detailed with a soft pink and black, frozen mid-air right in front of his face when he straightens and tilted upward in flight. Shiro stares at it, bewildered, and then, with a detached sort of curiosity, he reaches his hand out and touches it as gently as he can. </p><p>"Adam," he said, touching his head, there was no answer and to is his surprise, he wasn't in the interior of the hut, instead of lush land of greenery and a new forest life was to see. </p><p>Shocked and confused, Shiro began to walk hoping to find his way back home while thinking that about his situation rationally, believing this day has never even happened and he's been asleep this whole time, having the same dream again or hit his head on the walls. </p><p>Or drugs somehow were slipped into his system and he's hallucinating everything. </p><p>Or he was putting some reality show, making him so he has to find his way home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four: The Sealed Boy on the Tree</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Shiro comes out the other side, the only thing he finds is a strange boy pinned to a tree by an arrow and a  rivalry that's been going around for decades.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Upon waking up in this forest in total shock, Shiro takes inventory of himself at the most amazing, picture-perfect forest stretched before him even if he was still wondering that all of this was a dream. "Adam," Shiro called. he was so worried about him and his wound that he got the attack but the shrine surrounding them was gone, only the vibrant blue and pink of the leaves.</p><p>"What…?  What happened to the shrine…?"  Confused, Shiro could only think that something terrible must have happened.  It wasn’t just the well shrine. The entire shrine, the house, and the surrounding buildings had all disappeared. Leaving him with nothing but an unfamiliar landscape. </p><p>"Adam! Adam!" As he shouted, but no answer came.</p><p>"Oh, well this is just fantastic," Shiro muttered before she spotted something out of the corner of her eye: the familiar branches of the great Tree. "Oh! The old tree! I knew I wasn't too far from home!" </p><p>Elsewhere, somewhere at a mountain, an unknown floating purple Central Command, lies inside, in a dark room surrounded in crystals, lies a witch, her purple and yellow cloak and carries herself in a hunched posture was meditating, "ah" she moans.</p><p>Moments later, she starts walking out of her room after feeling something mysterious, once arriving at the gates of the Central Command, she is stopped by two guards </p><p>"State your business," one of the guards asked. </p><p>"I am here to see the emperor tell him, I have something important". She said</p><p>The guards look at each other before staring at her, "I understand I'll score him right now" one of the guards said as he began to leave his post to escort her.  </p><p>Back in the forest, Shiro was amazed by the forest canopy that stretched into the light-covered sky. Shiro's breath caught in his throat when he finds the tree at the clearing even more different than before, as the light shine on a mist that stood like a wall across a wide, rounded down below him a surprising scene; <br/>Shiro wondering if it the impenetrable mist that surrounded this place, "I wonder if" he thought. </p><p>It seemed possible but the mist appeared to enshroud large stones - the tops of which he saw poking out of the ceiling of the mist but everything else in the forest was the only thing not covered in the haze and the rolling particles of colored lights that flashed like lightning bugs as they danced through the mist. Shiro's heart raced, he couldn't resist the pull he felt any longer. He quickly walked inside into the mist. </p><p>The mist sparkled. Swirling particles of color danced throughout it until suddenly he got into his location and to his surprise, the tree that very eerily and very old was now thriving once again in bright greens and blues and deep earthy browns like never before seen but not only that the tree's main feature, it was the Ring of Stones surrounding it, in those formations has symbols, and he recognized them "Earth, fire, water, air, and balance" He said, but not only that, Adam was still nowhere to be found and no shrine. </p><p>However, that wasn't what caught Shiro's attention the most. What surprised her...was the strange black-haired figure lying against the tree, garbed in red ragged snow clothes, covered in tree roots...with an arrow piercing his chest.</p><p> "...A...boy...?" Shiro whispered as the wind blew softly.</p><p>Shiro stared in wonder at the Black-haired boy that was pinned to the great Tree. The wind blew softly, gently pushing up his charcoal locks. He didn't know why, but...he felt drawn to him, somehow, like something compelled her to take a closer look at him.</p><p>"I wonder who he is..." As he was taking him in, "...Um...hello?" he asked as he slowly approached the sleeping figure. "E-excuse me?"</p><p>No answer came from the red-clad youth. Looking at him up close...he was rather handsome, and he looked so peaceful, too...deathly peaceful. His body was wrapped up in roots and the arrow in his chest seemed a bit worn with age.</p><p>He had a dark blue-grey t-shirt, with it underneath was a red, white, and yellow jumpsuit that was for the winter and boots that has white fur on them with black accents, also he wore black gloves on his hands, wearing on his waist was a White utility belt with a golden rectangular buckle and the lower back is a silver-colored and double-bladed knife with a White pommel. All of it was now in rags. </p><p>But he still looks abounding beautiful, with surprisingly high long choppy bangs of his raven hair that they were described as a mullet, trending to sit on the top of the collar with uneven-cut bangs that tend to sweep to the left of his face, just covering underneath his eyes but containing two strands of hair sprout from the top of his head, but the framing his pale face was slightly longer and curled at his cheekbone alongside his pale lips as they are delicate, most to Shiro's bewilderment, wondering how as leaning closer. </p><p>"How can he still sleeping right now?" Shiro nodded, climbing on the roof, and reaches out to touch him cautiously to pat his head for a few seconds before stopping. "Though maybe I should stop doing that". </p><p>"I got find Adam," Shiro thought as he was about to climb down of the tree's roots. </p><p>Suddenly, loud bangs joining the sudden atmosphere, creating a rhythmic beat. The noise filled the air with uncertainty. </p><p>"What's going on" Shiro bought as the grass in front of him, next to the stones, rustled. Shiro had enough. Since he enters the old shrine before, his experience had been anything but shocking and enchanting. Stepping forward with termination, he reached toward a branch of the tree for combat. So with one swing, </p><p>Shiro asked. "Who's there," as he about to swing at the offensive down in the middle. It was time to reveal whatever danger lurked within! Then he saw a group of people, both males and females corner him, crouched low with arrows being drawn to the clearing.</p><p>"What are they" Shiro thought as he stared at their unfamiliar appearance. </p><p>Thump! </p><p>Shiro spun at the loud sound. More people from the stones. Each person had their weapon "lower your weapon, Galra", a young woman, command. </p><p>She was styled, in a fuchsia bodysuit with black areas on her midsection and thighs, with a tapered pink belt, shoes, and clunky wristguards, red accents are located on the collar, above her ribs, separating the fuchsia and black on her thighs, and under her kneepads alongside a fuchsia ruffled skirt, which begins under the belt, is open at the front of the suit and a pink "V" shape on her chest.</p><p>She was the leader of this group who hiding behind the stones, with raised arrows she moved toward Shiro. The others moved behind her. </p><p>Machines march towards them with heavy sounds, five newcomers appeared, looking different from the group, their guns the ready "And YOU lower yours, Altean", the soldier in charge commended the group of Alteans. He stood strong but menacing in a uniform that was all black and purple. </p><p>"Galra, Altean?" Shiro asked himself, wondering if it was possible to be on earth. Upon arriving there he had had always assumed that he couldn't be on Earth. Especially with the atmosphere and the people here are not human. </p><p>An older man seemed to from nowhere, he looks like a gentleman, dressed in a trim outfit of blues with white accents at his breast and gloves, and gold trimming at his waist and boots. Shiro also makes note of the bright orange hair and mustache, and telltale markings that imbue him just under his set of crow's feet, accumulated by stress<br/>just does like them. He stood at the soldier's side, all proud and Independence, the soldier closed at the man, then stopped to just stare at the man on equal ground. </p><p>"Threatening my people again, Haxus?" The man said. He regarded him like an old acquaintance he had been squabble with for years. </p><p>"Invading our base again, Coran?" The two continued to bicker like old enemies and formal friends. </p><p>"Going after our home again, just before planting our crops? We're short-handed as it is!" Coran argued. The history between the two groups in the forest was complicated as it is, ever since they arrived here, they go after their land. The alteans wouldn't allow that to happen. </p><p>"Normally we would go after your food, but that's not what we're here for, our systems have detected an unknown energy force in your area and we have been sent to check it out", Haxus responded as he demanded back at him. </p><p>"How dare you" a young woman's eyes hardened. "Our people had nothing to hide, it's you daemons, ever since you arrived here you've been poisoning our lands and destroy anything in your path". </p><p>Shiro watched the decades-old enemies rehash an argument they seemed to have had many times before. Suddenly a mysterious figure whipped out from behind them, then vanished as it had appeared. Everyone stood on guard, looking around, trying to see where it had gone BOOM! The tree began tumbling down and revealing a monster, "Mistress centipeetle!" Coran shouted, looking at horror at the site "she's supposed to be dead" whispering to himself, "the quintessence Crystal" Mistress centipeetle said, began to move, leaving a path of destruction in her wake. "Everybody gets back" Coran ordered, wanted nothing but to keep his people safe, away from her. </p><p>All around, the Alteans and the Galra grabbed their weapons, trying to get away from her as much as they could. </p><p>"Open fire" Haxus ordered, responding the soldiers shot their guns at her, but Mistress centipeetle's attack has appeared to be at random, not logical to its direction. Because of it, the Galra ran and around in confusion as Mistress Centipeetle was defeating them. </p><p>Shiro, who was seeing the scene, raced towards them to escape from the chaos, "ha!, Stand back, stay away from us" an Altean shouted trying to defend his friends from Mistress Centipeetle who switch her Target to someone else.</p><p>Shiro felt like he wanted to help the group in any way he could, so getting a gun in his hands from the ground, shot Mistress Centipeetle to off her sights was at the Alteans, "Get away from them!" Shiro shouted. He has been terrified of her and these events but he does know that he cannot let this continue any longer. "The quintessence Crystal," she said, excitedly, as she ran towards him. He had no idea what she was talking about. It was up to him to stop her, even knowing that he could be stuck on this planet, for the rest of his life, but no matter Shiro would do whatever it takes to stop her. </p><p>However, Whoosh! An explosion of energy burst from his arm, knocking Shiro on his back and sending the others tumbling. All Shiro could see was intensely bright blue light. This is faded to black. </p><p>Shiro blinked, he was standing in a field in the forest covered in snow with the ice air, flowing in his hair as he was waiting for someone, and in his hand was a bright blue crystal. "The quintessence crystal". a feminine voice said "what, who are you," Shiro asked "what's going on?" then suddenly, a mysterious figure started running through the fields, to attack him, to strike down which it excessively did as he was suddenly struck down by his right shoulder and landed on the ground with blood gushing out, covering the snow. Using the last of his strength, he tries to get the jewel, but his hand is stepping on by the mysterious Aslam, "You think I'd went to be human to be with you? How dense can you get I'm not doing this for you I'm doing this so I can be with Takashi? After that, I'm taking the crystal to Lord Zarkon. it is where it belongs." "what are you talking about?" Shiro asked "what is- What's the Crystal, who is Zarkon? how did you know my name, none of it makes any sense! I don't understand." The vision began to fade away. "wait" Shiro cried as he started to lose consciousness. </p><p>"what just happened," Shiro asked himself as the sunshine came back into focus. Surrounded by the Alteans, all exhausted from battling Mistress Centipeetle, Coran turned to face the leader, looking furiously. "Romelle, your actions put us all at risk, Will be war from the Galra?". </p><p>"what am I supposed to do, let them keep attacking our lands, the planet is dying things to them" Romelle protested as she trying to protect her home from falling into the Galra's grasp. </p><p>"You were reckless and put yourself and the others in danger", Coran scolded her, all their bickering was like father and daughter. </p><p>"Hey, can you stop arguing and tell me who are you," Shiro asked, desperate to know more about the vision, the world, and hoping to find Adam to make sure he was all right? </p><p>"Oh, right, How that we're out of immediate danger, we can have a proper welcome," Coran said "so my name is... and yet you look kind of familiar", he was stun, "here's no way you're supposed to be dead" he bought. </p><p>"What I just... walked in", Shiro replied. "Ok, but this place is forbidden" Coran responded calmly. </p><p>"Excuse me, sir," an altean man said, "should we get back to Ares we have a lot injured", "all right, I almost forgot about that", "Romelle, as punishment you're going back to handmaiden duties," Coran said, Romelle groaned. "Wha, Coran!" </p><p>"You heard me". </p><p>"You never let me do anything!" Romelle complained. "We are not having this conversation again," Coran said calmly but annoyed, "Ugh" then she stormed away to the Alteans. </p><p>"Right this way," Coran said as he leading him as they walk away from the Tree with the young man still on it. Walking away inside into the mist so, with uncertainty, Shiro decided to go with them "Adam" Shiro whispered, even though he felt exhausted from the day, mentally how much that one person can take, but he still hopes that Adam is ok and all right.</p><p>If he is, hopefully, he isn't stuck in another world.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five: Centipeetle's return attack</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Shiro realizes that somehow, he has traveled another world. Luckily for him, Coran, the current leader of Arus and Romelle manages to provide his aid. However, things take a scary turn when Mistress Centipeede appears, having survived her encounter with the Altean, Galra, and Shiro is determined to get the quintessence Crystal, no matter what! Realizing what's at stake, Shiro uses himself as a diversion. Meanwhile...Keith awakes from his 50-year slumber, having smelled the scent of the priestess who sealed him...but it's not exactly who he thinks.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As everyone was leaving the mist, the Alteans's injuries weren't too severe, Romelle slowly limped down the path. Coran walks with side her. Shiro looking behind them. He could go back where he started but he can't, become a space captain or explorer to prove everyone wrong, as he'd always wanted. Prove that he's not sick or weak effectively as his optic stabilizer buzz softly, Shiro sighed as he was keeping his muscles loose again.</p><p>The flashes of color were mesmerized until they got to the end of the mist, and it was an amazing sight, it has magnificent houses and shops and farmland for the people, with Sleek design with a pearl color and light blue color,</p><p>"Welcome to our home, Arus and the shrine of Lions", Coran says.</p><p>Shiro stood a moment in Amazement, the Villages were having ordinary lives, doing farming work, and regular jobs.</p><p>About to repeat himself, Shiro stops when a strange, weightless sensation comes over him. It persists for a moment, then leaves him in an instant as though something just picked him up and set him down even if he still wasn't home.</p><p>The Altean and his guards seem to visibly relax. Shiro glances about, noting the pristine ivory of the homeland and the people who have had the same small sickle-like markings that have diversified to include stripes and geometric shapes located on the foreheads, upper lips, and jaws.</p><p>"Now that we're out of immediate danger, we can have a proper look-see," the Altean said. he then gently cupped Shiro's chin. "Let me see your face for a moment, boy."</p><p>"Uhh..." Shiro muttered, nervously as Coran turned his head to the left, then to the right.</p><p>"...How odd," Coran mused. "Perhaps it is my old age, playing tricks on me...but I am almost ye look like the Samurai that visit us years ago."</p><p>"...The Samurai?" Shiro repeated as he swatting his hand to release his chin.</p><p>"Yes, but be at ease, young man," said Coran. "We are no dark daemons and we are the same as you and me."</p><p>"Daemons, Whether those", Shiro thought as this world wasn't Earth, he wasn't home.</p><p>Along the way, the Alteans talked among themselves, "A young man in strange clothes" asked a middle-aged man.</p><p>"From a foreign land," said a young woman.</p><p>"Will be war from the Galra" whispered a woman who was holding her infant son.</p><p>"Just before planting our crops," asked a more elderly man.</p><p>"Don't worry the mist will protect us" said a little boy.</p><p>Shiro couldn't help but gulp nervously as he, Coran, and Romelle have arrived at Arus's Main attraction, the shrine of Lions, but it didn't look like a shrine in Shiro's eyes: it was surprisingly like a castle with a futuristic look with the same pearl color but with an amazing blue color on its four nacelles. The whole scene was an incredible place to him.</p><p>"Right this way," Coran said, held the shrine open for everyone, one by one stepped inside. Then he closed the door.</p><p>The Shrine was empty, however, the inside was beautiful, at its center lies a ballroom with long great stairs of white along with lights of blue, but Shiro felt exhausted from the day that he had.</p><p>Shrine guards presented to him as more people who could have worked in the shrine began to check out the wounded as the guards leading him as they walk the stairs and through a long corridor, after that, the guards stop and gesture him to a guest quarter. When the door slides shut behind him: it's had a bunk bed sits nestled in a cubby scooped out from the left side of the room and the far wall on the right side is an open door for a tiny washroom. Save for the twin sconces on opposite walls, the decor is nonexistent. It's basic. It's bare and it's perfect for Shiro as it reminds him of the Garrison.</p><p>For a moment, Shiro can almost imagine himself back at the Garrison, returning to the barracks to sleep like the dead after a long day of drills. His bunk always felt like an absolute cloud, and just the sight of one now has him mourning for the rest and routine he took for granted but he wasn't.</p><p>He crosses over to sit on the bunk, resting his elbows on his knees. He was still worried about Adam and how to get home. Without another thought, he lay down and fell asleep.</p><p>Later that night, dreams filled Shiro's head. Images appeared in a constant loop, bright lights surrounding him. They came quickly and made sense. Light...Swirling color... corpses on fire...and finally, a cloudy image of a majestic woman holding a small crystal, her hair and cape flowing behind her. Then he heard a voice... a voice that he somehow knew did not belong to the woman with the Crystal.</p><p>"Balance must be restored. Altea must not fail, it seeks a samurai, will you answer It call Shiro"... "Shiro!" She said.</p><p>Shiro's eyes snapped open. Waking up and sat up. Then a knock outside the door.</p><p>"Hello, can I come in" a voice that Shiro recognized?</p><p>"Come in." He said and on command, The door slides open, and a girl in a white midi dress with pink trim at the bottom and a light blue half-apron and white boots with pink flat soles and her hair was dirt blonde, fashioned into back style with a perfect crown braid, entered his room.</p><p>"Hey I know you, you're Romelle isn't". Shiro said.</p><p>"yes, it is" Romelle replied as she greets him with a bow. "Coran asks you to come to dinner".</p><p>"All right" Shiro replying softly, he felt hollow but hungry. Romelle gestures for him to follow him out into the hallway, the two entered a huge dining room with a long white table and shares with the same color where Coran sat down at the front row of the dining room table.</p><p>"it ok, you can sit down it's not going to hurt". Coran said.</p><p>Shiro even though he was surprisingly starving, felt like he can't trust him since he needed to know about or where he is.</p><p>With Romelle showing him where to sit, across from Coran. "thank you, Coran" Shiro said, having to remember his name.</p><p>"hey, can you tell me where I am?" Shiro said.</p><p>Suddenly a servant with a utility cart of food for the table for Shiro and Coran.</p><p>"Thanks," Shiro said to the servant</p><p>"You're welcome," the servant said, respectively as he started to deliver his food; green goo with steak and green beans</p><p>"I know everything around your sounds confusing to you," Coran said.</p><p>"it is I meant I have so many questions," Shiro said, started to his food.</p><p>Coran answers, "Well, that part's easy!, Which I already explained to you, do you want me to explain again".</p><p>"No worry, that part I have already got," Shiro said, even though he was freaking out on the inside. "So what is this world".</p><p>'Oh right, this world is called Altea", Coran said,</p><p>"What," Shiro said, stood there in shock, he was in a world that wasn't his own, so no surprise there, it looks like a fantastic sci-fi world mixed with fantasy, "So... is this not Plaht City?" He figured it was probably pointless, but he wanted to try asking the question that had been nagging on him the most.</p><p>"Plaht City? I have never heard of it... Is that your homeland?" Coran ask, he got that by homeland right he meant hometown, but it still took him a few seconds.</p><p>"Um, yeah. Well... I mean, I'm from the Galaxy Garrison, but I live in the city right after my parents died, luckily I was raised by my grandpa but he died too. And I want to get back there." Shiro explained</p><p>"There is no reason you cannot return," Coran told him.</p><p>"Well, you might say that, but..." he didn't know the important bit of "how" to get back...</p><p>"You are an odd one in fact and your clothing is quite uncustomary but no surprise you humans unique species on Altea, for us daemons"</p><p>"Daemons, what are those", Shiro question Coran,</p><p>"Oh Daemons are mythical creatures with special abilities, we are one of them", Coran said</p><p>Shiro was perplexed by the saying, "what you mean",</p><p>"We call Alteans," Coran said, "and the other daemons are called Galra".</p><p>He paused for a moment, Daemons and a world, now he truly wants to get home with Adam. "I'd like to go now please, I have to find someone."</p><p>"But you can't just go home, especially with the war".</p><p>"War," Shiro said, feeling more confused than ever.</p><p>"Forgive me. With the war with the Galra Empire still going on, our people have been concern about the war reaching to Arus even with the mist surrounding the forbidden place, they wanna fight back, Even if I tell them we have no business with the war, especially what happened to our priestess, right Romelle" Coran explains, looking at her.</p><p>"What do you mean!" Shiro said.</p><p>"Allura was the priestess who protected Aurs, 50 years ago," said Coran. "Sadly, she died when I was still young."</p><p>"I see...I'm so sorry to hear that," Shiro replied, sadly, as she suddenly thought of Adam and the desperate expression on his face as he tried to help him escape from that centipede woman. "If you don't mind me asking...how did she die?"</p><p>"...It was a tragedy," Coran replied, grimly. "And the very culprit was the one known as Keith."</p><p>"...Keith..." Shiro repeated. "Wait...is he that boy I found, pinned to the tree with that arrow?"</p><p>"Yes, Shiro!" Coran confirmed. "Keith attacked Allura, leaving her fatally injured, and then viciously attacked Arus whilst attempting to steal the quintessence Crystal. With her last ounce of strength, Allura pinned Keith to the tree with one of her sacred arrows, putting him in a state of eternal slumber. She then perished in the fire, taking the quintessence Crystal with her...and thus, I was left to protect Arus as I grew older."</p><p>"...Wow..." Shiro whispered. "So...wait...what does the Samurai have to do with me?"</p><p>"look exactly like him when he was still alive," Coran replied. "How that is possible, I am not quite sure."</p><p>"What do you suggest", Shiro said.</p><p>"Allura wasn't the only one that perished, the samurai also perished in the fire!" Coran said</p><p>"In any case," Romelle began, "'its best that ye get some rest for the night if you can."</p><p>"Yeah, you're right," Shiro nodded. "Thank you, Lord Coran, Romelle"</p><p>"No, problem!" Romelle said.</p><p>"Just 'Coran' is fine," Coran smiled.</p><p>"...Thanks, Coran," Shiro smiled back. Just then, "Coran, Coran, something's coming". A guard in blue, white, and gold uniform came in a panic.</p><p>Coran stood up. "Arturo, What is this interruption?"</p><p>"We saw Something, Something big" he replied. "Making its way over the forest in the night".</p><p>Coran bolted for the room much more quickly from the table would assume, with Shiro and Romelle following after.</p><p>"What happened?!" He said when Coran ran outside the shrine with a group of guards, something huge came flying out of the darkness of the night and fell to the ground in front of them with a crash.</p><p>"Eek!" Romelle recoiled involuntarily. The thing that had come flying was a horse. There was a gash in its flank like it had been bitten off, from which its white rib bones were exposed and blood spouted out like a fountain.</p><p>"Horrible" Shiro stared at it, dumbfounded.</p><p>"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!" a man screamed as he and several other Alteans ran away. "IT'S A DAEMON!!! A DARK ONE"</p><p>Shiro looked up, only to gasp in horror upon seeing it was the same centipede woman from before, holding a chunk of flesh in her mouth.</p><p>"It's her" Shiro called out in surprise.</p><p>"Boy...!" Mistress Centipeede hissed before she began to crawl toward Shiro. "Give me the quintessence Crystal~!!"</p><p>"The...Quintessence Crystal...?!" repeated before she glanced at Shiro. "You have the jewel in your possession?! How is that possible?!!"</p><p>"I'm not sure!" answered Shiro as he watched Mistress Centipeede bite the throat of a man with her huge fangs. "But I know this much...that monster is after me...and if I don't do something, everyone here will get killed!!"</p><p>Some of the Alteans tried to ward off the demon by shooting at her with arrows and throwing spears at her, but all she did was swat them away.</p><p>"Coran!" cried one of the men. "Our weapons are useless against the centipede!!"</p><p>"If we can lure her outside of Aurs," Coran began, "we might be able to trap her!"</p><p>Upon hearing Coran's words, Shiro grasped in thought, "You mean....that's right the mist where the tree and maybe the well", he was certain of it.</p><p>"Hey, which way to the forest?!" Shiro said.</p><p>"It is at the eastern outskirts of Aurs", Romelle said, Shiro followed Romelle's gaze.</p><p>Beyond the fields, he saw a thick forest bathed in light, "That glowing place, right?! I got it!", Shiro said.</p><p>"What did you just say?!  You can see the mist invisible to the normal human eye?!"  Romelle said.</p><p>Romelle's words struck like a bolt of lightning, except that Shiro didn't hear them. He was already running like crazy with the monstrous centipeetle on his tail.</p><p>"Coran!" Romelle said.</p><p>"Get the horses and fast" Coran Shouting, and soon they spurred on their horses.</p><p>Meanwhile, at the great Tree, Keith remained pinned to the trunk...when suddenly, his eyes flew open. His heart pulsed, faintly and slow, at first, but then it became steadier as his body began to writhe.</p><p>"...This energy..." he hissed, his purple eyes glowing fiercely. "...I recognize it...it's the energy of the woman who killed me...Allura...!!"</p><p>Shiro panted as he ran through the forest as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him, Mistress Centipeede wasn't too far off. Of course, Shiro should have expected her to catch up so quickly. What did he expect from a daemon with so many legs?</p><p>"Hand over the quintessence Crystal!!" Mistress Centipeede demanded.</p><p>"Why do you keep insisting that I have it?!" asked Shiro before he tripped and fell, barely ducking under the daemon's long body before he landed on the grass and soil. "Ugh...just my luck...!"</p><p>"Why are you playing with puny bugs like Mistress Centipeede, Allura?"</p><p>"Huh?" Shiro muttered before he looked up and saw the face of Keith...who had this smug grin on his face. "I...it's you! Keith! Wait...you're alive?!"</p><p>The Boy didn't respond to that question, "of course I'm alive Allura, why would I be!?", His words were filled with hostility, and he glared down at Shiro with a sharp look and suddenly the now awaking boy was looking at him in disdain.</p><p>"Wait a minute, you're not Allura" the boy shouted.</p><p>As Shiro, ignored him and continued to speak. "Of course I'm not! Lemme tell you something, buddy! Whoever this 'Allura' is, she's not me because my name is-"</p><p>"She's here," Keith interjected as he looked up, and suddenly, Mistress Centipeede dropped down from the tree, causing Shiro to shriek in horror as she grabbed him again.</p><p>"H-hey, let go!!" Shiro cried, but just as Mistress Centipeede opened her jaws, she was suddenly struck in the side by several spears.</p><p>"We got her!!" shouted one of the Altean men.</p><p>"Hahaha! Too easy!" laughed another.</p><p>"Curse you!" she cursed at them while she pulled at the ropes with a strained creak.</p><p>"I'm... I'm saved..." Shiro said as he sagged in exhaustion, his lower body was completely sapped of energy. It was pathetic, as he was pretty sure he'd pulled his hip, but he was relieved that Arus and its people were safe.</p><p>But relief was short-lived at the black hair boy says, "That isn't enough to kill her".</p><p>Shiro was confused by his statement. "What you mean is not enough", Shiro asked the boy.</p><p>"You know, Kill her in one strike, just like I was when she did me or wait for the Sun to Incinerate her since she is a dark daemon," the boy explains to him.</p><p>"Dark daemon" Shiro was confused by the statement "what you mean by that".</p><p>Looked up, Keith's lips curled back in a smirk. "Heh, you're pathetic, Takashi."</p><p>"Grrr...!" Shiro growled before she got up in the boy's face. "Will you stop will all this ''Allura' nonsense, already?! And how do you know my name, we never met, Ok!"</p><p>"Don't you think I don't know that!" Keith questioned. "You are not foolish enough to think a haircut and a change into strange clothes could ever change my mind about you, I could still sense you."</p><p>"<em>Sense me! that's very weird talking to a guy you just met.</em>" Shiro thought as he was thinking about this boy, the only person who calls him by that name was Adam, but then again this is not his home, so why is he like that! As he about to snap the boy's face suddenly took on a dubious expression. "Hn?" He tactlessly examined Shiro's face again.</p><p>What is it?!" Shiro said in surprise,</p><p>"you're right, You're... not him," Keith said, gesturing to Shiro's appearance.</p><p>"Of course, I'm not!" shouted Shiro, growing more frustrated by the second. "That's what I've been trying to tell you! I meant my name is Takashi but everyone calls me Shiro Shi. ro."</p><p>"...Yeah...you're right," said Inuyasha as he looked away from her. "Takashi was...a lot hotter than you."</p><p>"Excuse me?!" Shiro questioned in shock. "I don't think I like your tone, mister- WAAH!!" All of a sudden, Mistress Centipeede grabbed him and pulled him up into the air.</p><p>"Hahahahaha!!" she cackled. "You're mine, at last!!"</p><p>"No! Stop!!" Shiro cried as she grabbed onto Keith's Black hair. "Lemme go!!!"</p><p>"Ouch! Hey, watch the hair!!" Keith yelled.</p><p>"Look, Coran!!" cried Romelle. "Keith...he has awakened!"</p><p>"Impossible...!" Coran whispered in disbelief. "That magical arrow was supposed to place Keith in eternal sleep until his body rotted away...and yet, somehow, the spell has been broken?!"</p><p>Mistress Centipeetle clicked her tongue in frustration. "Stubborn boy...I will get the quintessence Crystal" with a disturbing tearing sound, the sides of Mistress Centipeetle's mouth began to split apart.</p><p>"Oh, no...!" Shiro whimpered in horror.</p><p>"Wait...did she say quintessence Crystal?!" asked Keith.</p><p>"Get...OFF ME!!" Shiro shouted as he pushed Mistress Centipeede away, and just like back in the well, his palm emitted this peculiar light, causing Mistress Centipeede's arms to fall off.</p><p>"Did you see that?!" asked one of the men.</p><p>"That light...it looked just like Allura's...!" whispered another.</p><p>"Just like back in the well," thought Shiro as he looked at his hands. "How did I do that?"</p><p>As Shiro stared dumbfounded at the five arms on the ground, he became from thoughts as he rolled up his sleeve to seen a glow coming from his wrist where his optic stabilizer was.</p><p>"Damn you, boy!!" Mistress Centipeede roared before she lunged at Shiro...and bit down on his right hand, causing him to scream in pain.</p><p>"Shiro!!" cried Romelle.</p><p>"He's a goner, now..." Keith muttered.</p><p>Just then, as blood sprayed from Shiro's hand as it was ripped from his body...something else fell out from the gaping wound in her side: a light blue, rock-style gemstone with this illustrious glow.</p><p>The group clamored much more loudly than they had before. "Th... that's..." said Coran.</p><p>"The quintessence Crystal !" said Keith, eyes locked on it.</p><p>"I knew that you'd been hiding it in your body!" Mistress Centipeetle's voice gave a pleased shudder.</p><p>"The quintessence... Crystal...?" Despite the pain and the Lost of his arm, Shiro tried desperately to move his body from where it had fallen on the ground, strangely, his side barely hurt at all, and the bleeding had not stopped. Even though he'd been bitten with beast-like fangs. Even though it had hurt so much just prior.</p><p>His arm shown a clear glow. "It came from... inside me? Why...?!" Feeling like he was dreaming, Shiro cautiously grabbed his arm where it had fallen into the grass.</p><p>"Hey, you!!" Keith barked at Shiro. "Don't just lie there!! Hurry up and gimme the Crystal!!"</p><p>"What?!" Shiro asked.</p><p>"I said hurry!" Keith urged, but then, Mistress Centipeede coiled her body around the two, pressing Shiro up against the boy.</p><p>"Ah!!" He cried as he struggled to get away as he still couldn't believe what was happening to her, this is too weird to be real for him, Shiro should be in his warm room at the Garrison with Adam, So why? Why is all this stuff that he doesn't understand happening to him?! This centipede monster. Getting captured. Why? What did he ever do?!.</p><p>"Hahahahaha!" laughed Mistress Centipeede. "I heard that a half-daemon brat was protecting the Crystal with a priestess and Samurai...So it was you."</p><p>"Huh?" thought Shiro as he looked up at Keith. 'Did she say half-daemon? Does she mean this guy?'</p><p>"Heh!" Keith smirked. "Don't insult me, Mistress Centipeede. If I'd wanted to, our meeting would've been very short...and you're<br/>last."</p><p>"You know," Shiro began, "I'm starting to think that you're all bark and no bite, here!"</p><p>"...Is that an insult?" Keith asked with a glare.</p><p>"I'm just asking," Shiro started, "can you do something against her?!"</p><p>"Ha!" Mistress Centipeede laughed. "That boy?! He can't do anything against me...since he's pinned to the tree by that magical arrow. And you can't do anything against me, either, boy. Just sit there and watch..." Soon, she picked the Sacred Jewel up with her long tongue before she swallowed it in one gulp!</p><p>"No!!" Shiro shouted. "That Crystal is supposed to be mine!!!"</p><p>"She swallowed the quintessence Crystal!!" cried Romelle "What do we do now, Coran?!"</p><p>Before Coran could answer, Mistress Centipeede's arms began to reattach themselves...even the one that was left in the well when she first attacked Shiro.</p><p>"That can't be good...!" thought the young man.</p><p>Just then, the centipede daemon's face began to split in half as her eyes flashed red...and not long after, the green but human shell that once covered the upper half of her body suddenly fell off, revealing the face of a monster beneath it!</p><p>"This is... the power of the quintessence Crystal?!" Shiro had been holding his breath, but this was only the prologue of Crystal's show of frightful power as the daemon began to coil her body around him and Keith, even tighter. At this rate, he would certainly be crushed to death along with him. If only there was a way to stop this beast!</p><p>"Ugh!" The pressure was so great, Shiro unintentionally let out a cry of pain, "I'm... I'm gonna suffocate!"</p><p>"Hey." he suddenly heard Keith's voice. "Can you pull out this arrow?"</p><p>Shiro struggled to get his arm free from underneath Mistress Centipeede's body, but he managed to pull it out from the creature's thorax before he reached up for the arrow.</p><p>"No, wait, Shiro!!" Coran cried. "You must not remove that arrow from Keith! That arrow is what seals him to the tree! He must never be released!!"</p><p>"Oh, yeah?!" Keith questioned. "And what do you expect, Coran?! You wanna end up in the centipede's belly?! The moment her body has completely absorbed the Crystal, no one will be able to stop her!!!"</p><p>"What?!" Shiro questioned in shock. "You're kidding, right?!!"</p><p>"What'll it be? You wanna die here with me?!" Keith said.</p><p>The word "die" flipped a switch somewhere in Shiro's mind. Death! Dying! Dying here?! And dying without knowing what happened to do a person that you know?! Here?! In this kind of place?!</p><p>"...No," Shiro replied before he reached up and grabbed the arrow's shaft. "I...refuse to die here!!" he shouted as he gripped the arrow with all his might.</p><p>Crack cracks!...while Keith's body began to pulse, to Shiro's unease as an electric shock traveled from his palm through his body with an intense scattering of sparks. Instantly, a dazzling light spilled from the arrow, flaring up with heat and spreading along its entire length of his body. The powerful energy that had been forcefully pent up with nowhere to go now escaped like a surge that turned Shiro's hair or rather turns his fluffy streak white. Like a ferocious sleeping life, the force had now been awakened.</p><p>From within the flood of light, Shiro watched in bewilderment as the arrow became like a mist before his eyes, then vanished. But when the heat and light were withdrawn... with a grin, Keith feels like a victory jeer from him. As if to physically show his joy at the freedom he had gained, he spread his arms in a flourish.</p><p>"You're too late!!" Mistress Centipeede shouted as she completely wrapped Shiro and Keith in her coils...only for her thorax to be ripped apart!</p><p>"WHOA!!!" Shiro cried as he fell to the ground, having been blown back by the force of Keith's strength. The half-daemon boy somersaulted through the air before he landed on his hands and feet with the grace of that of an expert acrobat...maybe more so as he faced Mistress Centipeede, who growled at him, viciously.</p><p>She screamed out of anger. "You little brat!", she rushed at Keith in a fit of rage.</p><p>"Oh shut up! you bitch", Keith retorted as the daemon lunged for him with the intent of devouring him whole, but the boy just lunged right back with brandished his knife in his right hand as his weapon. "Daemon nature Art, Iron Reaver!"</p><p>SLASH!!! With a single swing of his arm, Keith broke Mistress Centipeede to mere shreds in a matter of 3 seconds, to the Alteans' shock and awe.</p><p>"...In just one fell swoop...?!" asked one of them.</p><p>"He truly is a half-daemon...!" whispered Romelle.</p><p>Soon, Keith landed on the ground, once again with a grin of wicked triumph.</p><p>"...I'm back," he said.</p><p>"Okay...I guess he's not all bark, after all," Shiro mused as he sat in the middle of Mistress Centipeede's body parts...one of which twitched violently, causing him to gasp. "This part of her is still moving!"</p><p>"Be calm," said Coran as he approached. "Can you see a place where the flesh glows? That is where the quintessence Crystal is."</p><p>"B-but..." Shiro stammered.</p><p>"If ye do not remove the crystal," Coran began, "her body will reattach itself and she will continue to attack us!"</p><p>"...If I don't take it out...?" Shiro whispered before he looked around and saw a piece of the daemon's flesh that was glowing. "There!" Soon, he pulled it out, causing the flesh to disintegrate into nothing but bones and soon sunshine was coming up, the daemon's body began to burns to ashes, leaving nothing behind but the Crystal.</p><p>"That's it!" Coran exclaimed. "The great quintessence Crystal!"</p><p>"...So this is the crystal that my Grandpa always talked about, Why was it inside of me?" Shiro mused as he stared at the gem. "So... these things make daemons even stronger."</p><p>"Exactly! A human who is now possible use for it!" Keith cut him off. "Now, if you wish to not feel the power of my weapon, I'd suggest handing it over."</p><p>Shiro and Coran started in surprise at him. "wait! but... isn't he the hero?!" Shiro thought.</p><p>In a black with violet lights, a long corridor of stairs and floors lies a throne perched at the top was a giant of a galra man seated there. The hooded figure stood closer to the throne, delivered what she discovered.</p><p>"Lord Zarkon," she said, respectively,</p><p>"Haggar" Zarkon demanding "What news you bring",</p><p>"The quintessence Crystal has returned and now I feel a resurgence of outer worlds energy Like we discover before but is different Is almost like Altean".</p><p>"That is impossible". Zarkon was surprised by the news, but that's impossible only Alfor's daughter had that much energy? How?</p><p>"I know not, but it is time to reclaim what is rightfully ours".</p><p>"Yes, I shall wipe that foul race from this planet forever and take back the crystal". With that being said to Haggar, Zarkon contacted his commander on Aurs.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter Six: The aftermath</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Now that Mistress Centipeede has been slain, Keith demands that he be given the quintessence Crystal, but Shiro isn't willing to give it up, so easily. Just as it seems that the crystal is about to fall into the greedy half-daemon's hands, it takes one moment to change is all.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mist looks like it was frozen as Keith stare in all seriousness at Coran and Shiro, carrying the weapon that had pulverized Mistress Centipeetle's body in an instant just moments ago were now pointed at Shiro.</p><p>All right, if you don't wanna die, hurry up and hand over the Crystal." Keith demand as he approached a step closer. His long, Sharp dagger reflected the sunlight, making it gleam.</p><p>From behind him, Coran said directed in a severe voice, "You mustn't give it to him, Shiro," and Shiro reflexively firmly gripped the quintessence Crystal in his hand. </p><p>"Keith, you know the quintessence Crystal is an unholy jewel", but Keith refuses to listen to him.</p><p>"Thank you for that reminder but there is no way I'm leaving it with him," Keith said. </p><p>On that, he lunged for Shiro, who gasped before he turned and ran, but he ended up tripping on. That seemed to prove more fortunate than anything else, however, for Shiro could see the flashing streak of Keith's strikes in the air as he swiped at him, narrowly missing his head. It did manage to cut off a few strands of hair, though. </p><p>Shiro soon fell to the ground but he was careful not to drop the crystal, at least, while Keith landed in front of her.</p><p>"Ah!" Shiro couldn't even budge. In a fraction of a second, a large gouge had been taken out of the ground in front of him. As steam rose from the ground, the smell of earth, heat, and water mixed reached Shiro's nose.</p><p>Keith returned to his original posture as though nothing had happened. "Next one will slice you in half." A wry smile played on the edge of his lips as he displayed his dagger. </p><p>Y... you!" Shiro glared at Keith as the blood rose to his head. "You were trying to kill me!"  </p><p>"Shoot him! Quickly!!" shouted one of the Alteans archers as he and several other fired arrows at Keith, who easily broke them like were mere sticks. Then he leaped up into the air before swiping his claws, once again, causing two trees to fall on the men, who ran as fast as they could to get out of the way. </p><p>"Hmph!" Keith scoffed as he landed on one of the stumps. "Who the hell do you idiots think I am?! You think that you can hurt me last did with that damned centipede?!!" He then glanced over at Shiro, who let out a frightened squeak as he got up and ran, taking the crystal with him. </p><p>"Help!!" Shiro cried as he ran through the forest with Keith in hot pursuit.</p><p>"You're not going anywhere!!" he called after him. </p><p>"Oh no! He's going to get it! Coran, should we restart Keith's seal." Romelle said. </p><p>Coran answered, "Keith! Careless as always!" He then pulled out a needle. </p><p>Meanwhile, Shiro continued to run as fast as he could away from his pursuer, which was hard due to the gaping wound on his body and that he leaped through the trees with such speed that he was almost invisible to the naked eye.</p><p>"Prepare yourself!!" Keith called from behind her.</p><p>"Prepare...for what?!" Shiro asked, only to gasp when he saw Keith lunge for him again. Thankfully, he managed to duck his head down, just in time, but he was sent flying a bit when Keith's dagger ended up hitting the earth behind him. As Shiro glanced back, he gasped upon seeing several fissures in the soil.</p><p> If he had gotten hit by that weapon...his body would've been in shreds.</p><p>That's when Shiro realized something: in her haste to avoid the attack, she had accidentally dropped the jewel!</p><p>"Oh, no!" he cried. "Where is it?!" he didn't have to look very long, for he spotted it, not too far from her reach. However, Keith had also eyed the crystal before he jumped down from the trees to get it.</p><p>"Finally," he said. "It's all mine!" </p><p>Just then, something flew through the air toward the boy and enveloped itself around his arm, it was a Vacutainer, containing blood that Coran had and shot it right at him, and soon a mysterious tattoo with purple and white lines appeared on his arm. </p><p>"What the world?" he asked as he landed on a tree root, too distracted by the tattoo to notice Shiro reach for the quintessence Crystal. "What is this thing?!" </p><p>"Quickly!" Coran called out to Keith, "Shiro, use your power". </p><p>"Eh?! what do you mean" he was taken aback at hearing a term he was unfamiliar with all of a sudden. </p><p>"It matters not what it is! it's the only way to subdued Keith and becoming a d-user" Coran told him. </p><p>"You...you tell me this now all of a sudden...!" Shiro had no idea what would be appropriate. </p><p>"What's a d-user? Some kind of spell? If so, I don't know any such thing". Shiro thought. </p><p>"There's no way I'd know that". Shiro made his anger and frustration visible. </p><p>"You, overpower me?!" Keith questioned, mockingly. "Ha! You can't even stand on your own two feet, wench!!"</p><p>Shiro panted as he held his injured side. Even if he wasn't wounded, there was no way he was able to outrun Keith with his outrageous speed and agility. </p><p>"Think, how am I going to subdue a boy". Shiro's mind raced like an association game, how is he going to calm down a boy whose only possession was a Crystal that was no way that he's going to give him as Keith's dagger was pointed at Shiro. </p><p>"Here goes nothing!" As a last resort out of desperation, but with a deep inhale and patience, Shiro reaches out his hand at Keith, soon a strange glow in the dark develops them and flashing Coran and the group. </p><p>"Takashi, Takashi," a voice said, running, look for someone in the winter forest to the cliffside, "Keith," the man said behind, wearing a white and gray gi in the style of a kimono, a white obi around his waist and black haori jacket with black pants underneath the gi and black and gray boots. </p><p>"Takashi," Keith said happier, run to him, conferring himself on his chest "you here", full of joy, </p><p>"Of course," Takashi said back to him, </p><p>"l Hope Allura is gonna be OK by us, I mean I never told Allura about us" Keith felt doubtful as he had a secret relationship with Takashi who was a wandering samurai from an unknown group. </p><p>And one of those days, something terrible is about to happen when a mysterious association with a set of arrows being drawn to their location but miss to the ground covers snow, </p><p>"Die, half-daemon," a voice said, Keith and Takashi look at the attacker and to their horror, it was a woman, wearing a beautiful white dress, light blue coat with a navy blue shawl. </p><p>"Allura," Keith said, confused by her sudden appearance, "die boy", she said colder, getting more arrows for a second attack. </p><p>Having no idea what's going on. Keith was paired to fight back. </p><p>"Lookout" Takashi croak, pushing Keith out of the way, as Allura, attacked them with three arrows, but missed again, however it was unexpected this time as Allura accidentally shoots Takashi with three arrows, causing him to falls from the cliffside of the forest. </p><p>"Takashi" Keith screamed in horror at the falling scene of the slaughtered body, "No".  </p><p>Shiro woke up with a gasp at the moment, "what just happened?" He said as wakefulness tugs at his chest. It draws him up, and he breaks the surface as it was already morning. </p><p>Next, the pearly whites came back into focus, discovered that he's back in the shrine, laying on a bed, where Keith begrudgingly is. Well, perhaps not begrudgingly, but rather waiting for a chance to arise to steal the crystal from Shiro.</p><p>The room that Shiro was in the form of what looks like a big hospital room, it's had eight beds or nine, beside them were cryo-replenishers next to the beds for the people who are injured from the attack by Mistress Centipeetle while Coran and Romelle were checking the rest of the damages, whether it was because it was unusual to see Keith, or whether they were still apprehensive about Shiro, everyone was watching, pointing, whispering, and keeping a wary eye on them as they passed.</p><p>it guesses it's to be expected. It's been a very long day. he'd intended to go to work like any other day, but he had suddenly been pulled into the well by a centipede monster, became lost in an unfamiliar world, got chased around by the monster again, met Keith, had the quintessence Crystal torn from inside his body for some reason, and then...</p><p>Then, Shiro discovered that he wearing a white jumpsuit, dress in a hospital gown as his clothes were on a nightstand.  </p><p>"He is awake, Go fetch Coran "a nurse paid, the nurses who had been watching over the injury, had just finished preparing some porridge for them, as he was eating it, Shiro had to repeatedly fight the urge to fall asleep. he was exhausted to his very core, however, he felt the pain that he was in.</p><p>"Now then, we had better apply some medicinal herbs to that wound on your shoulder." the nurse came over to her carrying a ceramic jar.</p><p>"That's right, I was injured..." Mistress Centipeetle had bitten him with her sharp fangs, tearing away his flesh and sending blood flying everywhere, so it had to be a huge gash, but until a nurse had mentioned it, he had completely forgotten about it. He hadn't felt any pain since only shortly after being bitten.</p><p>However she did more than that, tearing apart someone's flesh, </p><p>"Here, show me, said the nurse, with that out of the way, Shiro tried to remove the top half of his uniform but doing so, he notices an empty sleeve, even though he didn't want to admit it as he rolling up his sleeve he has seen that his right arm was gone as he knew that from the very beginning, leaving nothing but a bandage lump </p><p>Staring at it, how is Shiro going to explain to Adam that he lost his arm to a monster. yeah right, how is he going to believe that or the Garrison? </p><p>"Oh my, it is unexpectedly shallow. It does not appear any of the centipede's venom got in. It likely would not even fester." As she spoke, the woman coated the wound with something thick and strong-smelling.</p><p>"Ow...!" The medicine stung and he involuntarily let out a cry.</p><p>Hahaha!" Keith laughed in a way that sounded intentional.</p><p>"What's with your attitude? It's like you're an angry kid, lashing out." Shiro felt a prick in his skull. It was like every time this guy spoke, it made him so mad. Even though when he'd first seen him at the tree, sitting there with his eyes closed, he'd unconsciously thought he was beautiful, he'd thought he was amazing when he defeated Mistress Centipeetle with a single attack. But aside from that, he was a moody teenager ever since before he'd just been sulking like a lone wolf, The loner type that you saw in high school. </p><p>"So you're awake, the nurses told me that you made it through," Coran said, coming towards his hospital bed with Romelle, "how are you feeling". </p><p>"I'm fine or sort up", Shiro said, but he didn't feel fine, although the feeling was not mutual. </p><p>"I see!" Coran said. "But I afraid we have more important times as I still can't believe that the quintessence Crystal has reappeared here, after all these years...and I am certain that any evil beings who desire it will be appearing here, quite soon." </p><p>"You mean more daemons are gonna be coming after it?" asked Shiro. </p><p>"Not just daemons," said Coran. "The Galra Empire will also seek to possess it to creases their power to conquered our planet will surely also come in drones." </p><p>"I see," Shiro replied. "Still...there's one thing I don't understand." He then glanced over at Keith, who was sitting on the chair with his hands in a criss-cross in a rather lazy position. He had his back turned to him, he was grumbling under his breath, and his head twitched and swiveled in irritation. </p><p>"Keith, right?" Shiro asked.</p><p>"Yeah, what is it?" asked Keith in a gruff voice.</p><p>"Why are you after the crystal?" Shiro inquired. "You seem pretty strong to me. What would you need the crystal for?"</p><p>"Yes, Keith is quite powerful," Coran concurred. "However, he is only a half-demon."</p><p>SMASH!! Keith angrily threw a fist into the wall, causing it to shatter a bit while Romelle yelped and hid behind Shiro.</p><p>"You know something?!" the boy asked. "I can't stand sitting in the same room with some sassy guy and an old man who have to grow old, I am so tired about you giving my life story so too much trouble, give me the Crystal". </p><p>Coran let out a small breath. "You know I cannot do that?", </p><p>Keith raised his eyebrow suspiciously. "Fine," he said, feeling angry at him, turns head in frustration. </p><p>"Many years have passed and I'm surprised you're still the same! After fifty years." Coran said, firmly with disappointed eyes.</p><p>"Fifty years ... so I've been sealed for that long, huh?" He then smirked. "Well, if you're old, then Allura must be ancient! Good thing I don't gotta worry about bein' old...at least not for a while, anyway."</p><p>"Keith, Allura has died," Coran said bluntly. </p><p>Hearing that caused Keith to tense up slightly, something that Shiro took notice of. </p><p>"It was the same day she sealed you. She had a terrible wound... Her final moments were to never allow the crystal to fall into the hands of evil, so the order to do that, she burned herself with the fire that you caused, burned the crystal along with her, but wasn't her that died, the samurai that you were with also died", Coran explained. </p><p>"...So...they died, huh...?" Keith asked...and Shiro couldn't help sensing just a bit of sadness in his voice, causing her to blink in bewilderment, but he quickly scoffed and smirked. "Well...good riddance." </p><p>Coran continued his story regardless. "Keith, is a little early for you to be relieved, After all...Allura and the samurai may be dead, but their reincarnation is right here in this very room...is that not the truth, Shiro?" </p><p>"...Who, me?" asked Shiro in surprise.</p><p>"Aye, dear boy," said Coran. "You possess immense power that has remained untapped for some time. Not only that, but the quintessence Crystal was hidden within you. What other answers could there be?"</p><p> "...But...but that can't be right!" Shiro exclaimed. "This has to be some kind of fluke!"</p><p> "Fluke or no fluke," said Coran, "Shiro, you have been tasked since birth to protect the jewel."</p><p>"...You've gotta be kidding," Shiro said in disbelief as he stared at the gem in his hand. "You mean I gotta guard this thing, now?!" He then sighed. "Just my luck..."</p><p>"Oh, boy," Keith grumbled before he stormed out of the room. "I need some air!" </p><p>As if he picked up on this, Coran stated, "Shiro, for now, I think you should rest, Afterwards, we will proceed from there."<br/>
his voice faded out from serious to centric. </p><p>"What about him," Shiro asked, wondering what to do about Keith.</p><p>"Don't worry about him, as long the mark is surrounding his arm, you are connected to him, the threat that he once held is now diminished, it's the only way that he allows be closer to the Crystal", Coran explained, leaving the room with Romelle. </p><p>When he laid down back on the bed, Shiro restlessly went to sleep, "Please... when I wake up... let all the weird stuff that happened to me here be a dream... The magic power"s, the Daemons, the crystal, everything... Like that Alice in Wonderland story that told the kids about... When I wake up, everything was a dream, please, please, please, god...".And he dreamt.</p><p>"Are you sure, Coran?" Romelle said as they moved together down the corridor. </p><p>"Yes I am sure, Shiro is the Jointo of Allura and The samurai Takashi". Coran told her. </p><p>Romelle stopped walked. "The jointo? him that means he can stop the war and free our people and Altea from the Galra", Romelle complained about the war which the Galra empire wanted to take over the planet, Altea, led by Emperor Zarkon, so an order to go against them, rebels were forming to fight back. </p><p>"How are we going to do that" Coran replied as they began walked again. "How is he going to fight with one arm, especially he has no idea about his powers, he has no training of a priest or samurai".</p><p>What," Romelle asked in thrilled disbelief. "How are we, I mean we can teach him that's like Allura was taught", that strikes a core in Coran, </p><p>"And how are we going to do that, Allura was my best friend too and I think about what happened to her every day", Coran said </p><p>Romelle frowned. "But that won't happen again, Keith is contained, right?" </p><p>Coran shook his head. "No he won't, I meant Keith is contained for now, but he won't help us not everything has happened in the past". </p><p>Coran didn't turn around, "We'll discuss later, Romelle", he replied, his back to Romelle, "much later".</p><p>"Right, like you always said", Romelle muttered to herself. She headed in the opposite direction of Coran, more determined and hopeful than ever before "I won't give up, oh never give up until the Galra empire is defeated and Altea is free". </p><p>When Coran reached his room, he sat on the edge of his bed staring at a portrait hung on the wall. It had been painted right after Allura was born. Things seemed so easy then, so full of promise. That was before she died, leaving Altea without a defender, without any freedom from the galra. </p><p>He sighed, letting his shoulders slump. "Stop beating yourself up, you said", Coran told himself, "Right Alfor". </p><p>Staring another painting, next to the bed, unlike the other one, it this one painted before Allura and feature her father, Alfor and Coran, back when he was a young man. </p><p>"I mean you always know what to do I mean, handling with teenagers, but it's not supposed to be easy". He lay down on the bed, pretending that he was in psychiatry, a patient talking to his psychiatrist giving full attention to his problems. </p><p>"Teenagers or not, I must have hope for the future, but I feel like I can't", Coran replied. " Even though I'm trying to keep everything together, but I don't know how long I can keep it up". He remembered the day that Allura has dies, he could still see the images, flashing back in like an endless loop of pain and loss. </p><p>"I just want to keep the peace", Coran said, his heart filled with sorrow. </p><p>Elsewhere outside of Arus, on a base, a calling for a meeting of the galra soldiers, they have a job to do. </p><p>The gathering was held outside the base, military-style with soldiers line up, all being respectful to their Commander.</p><p>"I see, we got our orders, a Sinister voice said, petting a crow, step onto the arm, which has red eyes, mostly glossy black plumage, and a heavy bill but its most unique feature was its three legs. </p><p>"You can the crystal, Now go" with that the bird off on order, flying into the sky to his Target destination. "Repair everything, Haxus", ordered someone by command, </p><p>"yes sir, Sendak sir". Said Haxus, in the most commanding voice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter Seven: Keith and Romelle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While Shiro finds the comparison between him and the Samurai unsettling and is more worried about finding a way back home and maybe befriend Keith, who remains insistent on disliking him. But Romelle isn't she was determined to defeat the galra, even if she has to go for so much trouble.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shiro reached out. He was standing inside a room that seemed to made of glimmering night, When did it all start to feel so distant? So...small?</p><p>He stands, but there is no floor beneath his feet. He breathes, but his lungs take in no air but light reflected from every surface, making to look peaceful, tranquil, painless. A stark departure from the agony he endured in another world.</p><p>He spun around and saw a shape of like a person, a woman-the same person his first vision. White hair, her skin is a warm brown, her eyes are a mix of galaxy blue and turquoise with purple pupils, and her Altean marks are light pink. </p><p>Matching her appearance, she wore a dress of whites with splashes of pink, with accents of dark blue about her shoulders and waist. " Hello, Shiro", the woman said.</p><p>"Who are you?" Shiro asked, "are you Allura!?".</p><p>Shiro has a good guess to her identity since basically everyone's been talking about her, "I am, I am Allura, my people have been waiting for you l, for a long time. but I could not reach you until you found the portal". </p><p>"You activate the portal?" Shiro asked. </p><p>"Yes to look for the sword", Allura replied, an image of a sword, It looks like a samurai sword with blue gen embedded in the grey hilt, but the sword itself was forged from a silver-white metal that gleaming from the sunlight, Shiro reached for it, but his hand passed right through it.</p><p>"Altea requires you, Shiro", Allura said, "will you answer it's the call? will you fight for the people of Arus and the planet?" </p><p>"What are you talking about?" Shiro asked. " what is that, what sword? You're not making any sense! I don't understand".</p><p>"You will", Allura promised. The vision began to break apart around them, Allura faded away.</p><p>"Wait! Come back..." he murmured as he awoke.</p><p>What Shiro saw was the shrine's bright ceiling. Shiro was right where he was before he fell asleep: still in the room where he recovered.</p><p>God had not heard his plea. "Why...?" As he slowly arose, he sort of wanted to cry. Everyone back home had to be worried sick. Panicked... everyone was probably looking for him. Adam... he wondered what happened to him. He was standing right there watching when he was dragged into the well or the portal by the centipede woman, since he was so easily frightened, he had to have been scared to death, no one will ever believe him, especially how he got hurt. </p><p>Just how long was he going to have to be in this place... this planet? How was he going to get back to his own world? And why was he even all mixed up in this in the first place?</p><p>Was it because he really was Altea's savor<br/>So, like it was fate, as he led here? "What do I do...? If I can't ever get back home, what's going to happen to me...?" The most frightening thought surfaced in Shiro's mind, making him filled with doubt.</p><p>"No, don't give up! You got to remember" he scolded himself out loud. Keeping such pessimistic thoughts wouldn't change his situation. Just keep your eyes forward. Just believe you'll be able to go home. Stop fretting and try doing something.</p><p>The room was already empty, with a few injured and nurses for the day, judged it, it was getting to be the afternoon. For some reason, Coran and Romelle seemed to be gone. Having probably gone off somewhere, he didn't see Keith, either.</p><p>Shiro stood up briskly and did a few routine stretches from the training wing of the Garrison. Once he got his blood flowing, he started feeling a little better. At any rate, might as well try walking around the shrine and if he managed to see him, maybe try talking to Keith a bit, just to get his thoughts together. he still couldn't believe what he was hearing, though. To hear that he was the reincarnation of the priestess and the samurai who protected the quintessence Crystal, not to mention last night's attack from Mistress Centipeede...it just caused his head to swirl. Not just that, but now, not only did he have to find some way to get home, but he was also tasked with protecting this crystal?  </p><p>And to think, all of this happened in one day, of all things.</p><p>As Shiro walked through the hallways of the shrine, the Alteans servants looked up and watched him with awe. </p><p>"Did you hear?" asked a young woman. "I heard that he is actually Lady Allura, reborn...!"</p><p>"You don't say," whispered an elderly man with a hand duster. "Come to think of it, he seems to share Lady Allura's regal countenance."</p><p>As Shiro turned around, he gasped in surprise upon seeing the Alteans, bowing their heads and folding their hands in prayer.</p><p>"Uh...okay, this is weird...!" Shiro said. </p><p>On the Shrine's garden with sunlight and clear skies, covered the grass with a garden of beautiful flowers, like shrubs of Hydrangea and Daisies, Pansies, and Weiss flowers in pots, all in line. but the most important feature was the beauty of the purple flowers called juniberry, surrounding the shrubs and the pots lived a cedar tree, close to the windows and sitting on a branch of the tree. Keith was sullen, upon awakening from his sealed slumber, he'd been told that woman, Allura had dead, Nevertheless, he will be the one who ended up with the Crystal. </p><p>"She dies and I didn't know, but that means he dies too," Keith said, in his head out loud. the felt of tears fell from the corners of his eyes and teeth grinding, with guilt boiling up in him. <br/>Why they, both Allura and Takashi have to die. </p><p>But at that have to wait, now a man who bore the face and appearance of Takashi but was otherwise a completely different person was here. He may have been completely different, but her energy was the same as Allura's, not to mention he carried the quintessence Crystal, and furthermore he used that spell to subdue him... </p><p>"That man had the same Powers as Allura", Keith said to himself. </p><p>As Coran had said so, but was it really true? That man had all of Takashi's calmness, and he was but can be short-tempered and violent, he isn't stupid or naive, he was look pretty intelligent just like Takashi was. At any rate, he was much too different from Takashi.</p><p>Still, he had managed to disintegrate the sacred arrow that Allura had poured her will into, so that was a plus. </p><p>"Looks like I was the one who ended up free" Keith thought. Being sealed for fifty years was nothing, he'd surely get the quintessence Crystal this time. "he's not Allura so I'd have plenty of opportunities, plus it doesn't look like he can do that sealing trick". </p><p>Before he had a moment to figure it out, he suddenly reached around behind his back and caught something in his hand. At first, he thought it might have been a stone or something, but when he brought it up to his face to see what it was, he found that it was a pear.</p><p>"What the...?" he muttered.</p><p>"Hey! Don't you wanna eat something?"</p><p>Keith turned to see Shiro, down on the ground below. For some reason, he was carrying bundles of fruits and vegetables like apples, persimmons, pears, daikon, carrots, and other things.</p><p>"Where'd you get all those things?" Keith asked.</p><p>"The Alteans gave them to me," said Shiro. "Why don't you come down from there and help me eat this stuff?" </p><p>"Hmm." Keith frowned, believing some sort of revenge on him? but with no other option, Keith decides to sit down, If he left an opening, he could steal the quintessence Crystal.</p><p>Shiro sat at the base of the tree and began stuffing his face with delicious-looking Apple. While Keith sat on his haunches with his ears flat against his head like a nervous dog, staring warily at her, even while he was eating some pear. </p><p>"...Look here, man," said Keith. "Whatever you're up to, I ain't buyin' it, got that?"</p><p>"Buying what?" Shiro asked as he swallowed his bite of the pear. "Listen...I think it's fair to say you don't like me, right?"</p><p>"Ha!" Keith scoffed. "WAY more than fair!"</p><p>"Okay, okay," Shiro replied. "Look...it's not even me you don't like. It's this Allura lady, right?" </p><p>Keith paused...but then he growled and leaped back up into the tree, causing Shiro to sigh.</p><p> "Oh, come on!" Kagome said in exasperation. "Look...I'm NOT Allura, okay? I'm Shiro! Come on, can't we just call a truce?"</p><p>"Aha!!" Keith exclaimed. "I knew it! What you don't get it is that I'm only after the quintessence Crystal! You're just trying to get me to lower my guard!!" </p><p>Shiro hesitates. Not for the first time, he struggled to articulate the reason he found such a fascination with the young man before him. </p><p>"Why do you want the crystal so desperately!" Shiro blurted out, while he looked down at the pear.  </p><p>This was the Last straw for Keith as he walked out.  </p><p>"Wait, I didn't mean it like that", Shiro said, Trying to apologize. Suddenly, a strange force pushes Keith back to Shiro. </p><p>"Augh!" Keith gasps. </p><p>Hey, are you OK", Shiro said, concerned, but as soon he reaches out his hand, it was glowed in white and purple. </p><p>"What is this, Why my hand glowing," Shiro said, feeling starred. </p><p>"I forgot, you are my D-user," Keith said, Sarcastically. </p><p>"D-user, what is that," Shiro said.</p><p>Keith reeled "a D-user is a person who doesn't have a daemon". </p><p>"Doesn't have a daemon, what you mean," Shiro said, wondering by the statement. </p><p>"They are 3 types of daemons right, light, dark and anima", Keith explaining, "Anima Daemon is the type to be born with a human but there still some humans there aren't born without one, Hence for the name D-user".  </p><p>Shiro realizes that this is what Coran was talking about, but he still doesn't know anything about Daemons. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean it that time," he apologized hurriedly. </p><p>Keith groaned as he pulled himself from the ground, his face covered in dirt and grass stains.</p><p>How did he EVER get into this mess? </p><p>Unknowing to them in the damp darkness, the evil, the wretched, and the vile began to stir. </p><p>"So remember the plan" Haxus said to his men. </p><p>"Yes sir, we fight for the Empire. we conquer in the name of Galra. No foe has ever stood in our way and none ever will. Vrepit so!", all the men said in unison. </p><p>"Vrepit sa! soon the quintessence Crystal will be ours..." Haxus responded with a sinister smile. </p><p>Later that night, as everyone began to turn in to prepare for another day of hard work...Shiro lied on a bed that Coran gave him along with a room of his own. Although Shiro did appreciate the man's hospitality and kindness...the poor man couldn't help feeling just a little lonely. After all, it had been 2 days, now, since she appeared here in this world...and worst of all, people doesn't even know where he is.</p><p>he could only imagine their worried faces...especially Adam's. It was bad enough when he got injured...he couldn't imagine how boyfriend must be feeling, probably panicking at the thought of Shiro being missing for 2 days. Even if Shiro did find a way to get back home, what was he going to tell everybody? </p><p>"Somehow...I have to get back home," he whispered. </p><p>Elsewhere in the night, Romelle sat at her desk in a room in the shrine and wrote in her diary. "dear Coran, I know you're never read this, but I have to say it somewhere or write it" she said out loud. "I feel like you don't respect me or listening to me".  </p><p>Whoosh! her slide door whizzed past Romelle's ear! lt stun her as footsteps came in her room, Romelle rolled her eyes, putting her head on the pillow, "Coran I have nothing to say to you", a figure below walked close to her to reveal the curious face of a man, Keith. </p><p>"Oh is you what you want!" Romelle said. </p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was searching for my room," Keith said, "I still don't know what's around this place". </p><p>"Shhhh!", Romelle warned. "What are you I don't want Coran to know you here?". Normally, Romelle would be glad to have guests here, especially to comfort her about her situations with Haxus and Mistress Centipeetle, but the last thing she needed was to get in more trouble with Coran.  </p><p>"Sorry, I trying to guard the crystal!" Keith said. </p><p>"Guard it or waiting to steal it!" Romelle said. </p><p>"Well, kind of I don't know! The man is guard it now it's different!" Keith said. </p><p>"Of course he's different, he's not like the samurai you knew from the past!" Romelle said. </p><p>"Don't you think, I don't know that...his energy is different!" Keith said. "And yet the same as Allura was." </p><p>"Hey don't worry about it!" Romelle said. "It's night time we get some sleep!" </p><p>"Ok,... It's good to talk to someone, even if you're the last person that I won't listen!" Keith said and soon, he left the room, Romelle couldn't help from thinking that Keith wasn't the bad guy that he was.  </p><p>"That was weird!" Romelle said, "Keith must be trying to plan something. She then try to get some sleep but was unable to, instead, she decided to do some exercise. </p><p>Dressed in her suit, Romelle began to do some exercise by running around the shrine in hopes that she will fall asleep. </p><p>The following morning was business as usual for the Alteans. However, while Coran was out doing his rounds and Keith was off doing who-knows-what, Shiro had plans of his own. Today, he was going to try and find his way back home. </p><p>In the shrine, Romelle was exhausted apparently all that jogging was not helping to fall asleep but it wasn't enough to lay down maybe that enough to fall asleep, heading back to her room, Romelle laid down on her bed. </p><p>Just then, there was a knock on her door, leaving her frustrated, she instantly forgotten that she was a handmaiden. </p><p>"Coran, I'm not in the mood to..." Romelle said as she stopped in her tracks as she saw the person wasn't Coran, in fact it was Shiro. </p><p>"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was searching for Coran," Shiro said, "I still don't know what's around this place". </p><p>"No it's okay, I thought you were Coran too." Romelle said. although she sighed with frustration. "Ugh! I'm still mad at Coran!" She complained. </p><p>Shiro nodded as he sits down, he had a long day, be being charged with protecting the crystal, how is he going to do that with one arm, let alone protecting all the planet.  </p><p>"it's this about me, or the Galra", Shiro asked. </p><p>"I was just trying to attack their base again!" Romelle replied, "I mean I was going to look for the same thing they were looking for in hope up free Arus from their clutches!, and was my ONE CHANCE to prove that I can do this. But he acts like I can't do anything because I am not a rebel, just a handmaid, Ugh!". </p><p>She grabbed her head in annoyance, looking at her, Shiro tries to make his one arm situation work, "That doesn't make sense", Shiro said "Everyone here is a daemon!, I'm like the only one who's not a daemon".</p><p>Romelle collapsed dramatically on her bed, "Tell that to Coran!". </p><p>Shiro held up a small pad, curiously. "Hey, where what's this?".</p><p>"Tracker pad", Romelle instructed. Shiro sometimes how can he and Romelle have a communicate, even they do come from different worlds but still it was nice talking with someone who doesn't treat him like a mighty samurai or someone from a negative past. </p><p>"Anyway, Coran might have a point", Shiro said, "The only reason you got out of there was become of that centipede monster lady, and let's face and no one has a chance". </p><p>Romelle scowled, "looking for support here, samurai!".</p><p>"Shiro actually", Shiro explains to her, he started hated that name from the moment he arrived here. </p><p>"Sorry about that but you are right, if I want to prove myself, it's going to take more than running recklessly into any old battle. luckily I know just the thing". Romelle added. </p><p>She grabs the pad from Shiro's hands, "Check this out. I detected energy, the same energy that the Galra were sneaking out into the mist surrounded the forest, a pretty powerful one, by the size of these reading". Romelle continued</p><p>Shiro perked up. the energy's readings were at the same location where he came from, from the well. looking at this he might find the well again and maybe just maybe he could go home. If someone could know the way it's Romelle, and besides Shiro knew that the Altean really need it to help them.  </p><p>"if I find this unknown source of energy and bring it back", Romelle said. </p><p>"And take me home", Shiro asking her, Shiro know this might be his only chance to go home and it might help Romelle to do something big to show Coran she could save the Alteans from the Galra. </p><p>"it is impossible, but have you noticed I'm on handmaiden duties again," Romelle said, putting her fingers in a sarcastic showing, suddenly a knock on the door "Romelle? are you in there" was Coran. </p><p>"Uh..." Shiro said. </p><p>Romelle put her hand over Shiro's mouth, "Romelle?", Romelle walks up the door, "Everything's fine, Coran". Trying to the seam line the situation, but the other side of the room, Coran was not having it, "Is someone else in there? I heard voices". </p><p>"No one else is in here. Can you leave me alone?" Romelle said, trying to avoid a confrontation. </p><p>"I don't appreciate your tone right now, young lady", explains Coran as he tries to be polite, like a father trying to get his daughter to talk. </p><p>"What tone" </p><p>"That attitude is never gonna help you"</p><p>"Coran, you always tell me what to do"</p><p>"You can't act that way" </p><p>"That's not fair!" </p><p>they're arguing had reached a breaking point. With doors closed, "I'm in, meet me in a few hours."  </p><p>"Thanks," Shiro said. </p><p>"Oh go this way in turns two way that way, you'll find the room Coran staying in" Romelle pointed out the directions. </p><p>Under destructions, Shiro reached his destination, Coran's room for the final time, to just say his farewells to him, but he wasn't there. So he return to his room and waited for Romelle. </p><p>After finishing her work, a few hours earlier, head to Shiro's room to get him. </p><p>"Hey come with me, I want to show you something", Romelle said, leading Shiro to a different room.  </p><p>As the two walked down the corridor and through the main hallway, Shiro glanced at the walls, the feel and look at it, Shiro is reminded that he might have been in a sci-fi movie but this isn't a movie this is real before he had time to think more, they reached to a room where it was closed off from everyone. </p><p>Romelle led Shiro inside and opened the room, it was filled with weapons, Shiro gasped, "Whoa. Where's the war?". There were knives of all sizes, staffs, swords, and even guns. </p><p>"Well if you are an explorer, you would tend to learn stuff", Romelle said, changing from her work dress into a more comfortable outfit. When she didn't have handmaiden duties, Romelle preferred to wear her suit, the same outfit that Shiro saw when he first met her. Complete with a white and golden staff. </p><p>Shiro picked up something that seemed like a normal toy ball, but when he tossed it in the air, sharp spikes burst out of it. Shocked, he put it back and picked up a small dagger instead. "Why do you have these. I thought that you guys wouldn't part of the war" </p><p>"We used to, I meant we used to be explorers and protectors until the war started and what happened to Allura, we just stopped" Romelle explains as she opened a creaky door and entered a dark storage room. </p><p>Shiro followed, wearing, not clothing but a cloak of concern over his head. "These people used to be" he fought, he tossed back the hood as Romelle pushed aside a small tunnel. </p><p>Shiro couldn't hold in his excitement. "Is a secret passage?" He accidentally tugged at the drapes, which fell over Romelle's head. "It was," Romelle said, tossing the thick fabric aside to discover that Shiro had already gone into the tunnel, "Shiro" he quickly followed him. </p><p>Moments later, Shiro reached the end of the secret tunnel. He popped a panel out of a grate and emerged at the base of the wall and soon Romelle climbed out to join him. They were outside the wall surrounding the shrine.</p><p>"Be reminded that we're supposed to be sneaking out", Romelle said in a hushed voice as she put the grate cover back in place, "Romelle trust me, I know my way to sneak around when I need to-" Shiro began, but Romelle threw herself at Shiro, cutting him off and knocking them both into the shadows.</p><p>Patrol guards marched past. Shiro let out a long breath. They had almost been caught, "morning patrols", Romelle explained. "We can get by them if we time it right".</p><p>"Wait", Shiro asked, "how did you know they were coming?" He watched the guards disappear in the distance. "I have eyes everywhere", She held out her hand on the ground, four mice in different colors and shapes appeared from the walls and climb from her forearm to her shoulders. </p><p>Shiro hushed, "wait you have your own Daemons, What're their names, I bought you are daemons?", Romelle rolled her eyes as if that were the stupidest but surprise question she'd heard and answered, "the big one is Platt, the smallest is Chulatt, the moody one is Plachu and the pink one is Chuchule and no none of them are daemons". </p><p>She put down her arm and the mice took off into the bright green grass. Then, with a click of her tongue, Platt and Chulatt slipped out from the grass above. </p><p>"Once they give us the all-clear single, we're heading to the forest", Romelle explain to Shiro, "how many more are you", Shiro said, curious. Romelle continues to roll her eyes, but an answer nonetheless, "there are a lot of us but there are humans and regular animals like them", the mice raise from the ground, pulling thumbs way up. </p><p>"That's the signal", the two-headed towards the direction of the Forest, Romelle looked at the mice, Plachu and Chuchule. "guys, I need all to stay here and make sure no one knows we have gone", she had to make sure no one will come to look for them, the four dutifully saluted her. They took their jobs seriously. </p><p>A short time later, Keith was walking down the hill towards Shiro's door, still dressed in his old clothes, he frowned upon as he passed a portrait of the shrine family. "Uh", with a scorned stare, he pulled out his dagger, repair to destroy the painting. "How had things gone so wrong" Keith fought, planning to strike but stopped when he saw in the picture, the preteen of Allura, he has no time for this but still wonder why she does it, Keith had no idea what's going on with her, but it didn't matter. What was what is done it's done. </p><p>He was about to enter Shiro's room when the two guards blocked his way with crossed staffs. "One of the handmaidens made it expressly clear that the samurai does not wish to be distracted under any circumstances", a guard told him. </p><p>"Huh?, What handmaiden?" Keith snorted. "Who, what handmaiden give you that order, I meant to come on, who whatever you are, you know where I am your worst nightmare", Keith said, trying to persuade the guard. "if you you know if you don't move out of my way I'm going to kill you". The guard considered it for a moment, but then said "sorry, whoever you are. Order is ordered". </p><p>"Orders are orders really; I mean come on all I want is to go to that guy's room, get the Crystal and then kill him" the guard rose from his spot, he didn't appreciate Keith what he has to say; to kill Shiro, "what did you say", he said with eyes on his face in shock. Then with a frown, the guard swiftly threw Keith far away from the room. </p><p>Keith went out flying and landed face- down on the ground, "ow that came out wrong", Keith moaned, he pulled himself up from the white and cold floor. "Goodbye", the guard said kindly and return to his post. </p><p>"Hey need a hand", Coran said, asking politely, moving closer to Keith, "hello Coran," Keith told him as helped him up, "what you want now. Probably waiting to seal me into another a tree", the man was fallible by the statement, "what no why you think that I meant sure Allura did steal you in a tree" Keith's eyes widening with anger and teeth ground.</p><p>"Don't you dare talk to me about her", Keith shouted, grabbing the collar again as he did before when he was in the hospital room. "Look whatever what you did or happened in the past, it doesn't matter anymore", Coran asking, "the only thing that matters now is what you choose to do now" </p><p>"You're right and I choose this", Keith said, flipping his hand to show the guards that were guarding Shiro's room, "what is this", Coran added, curious the reason behind this. "Arturo, Din, what are you doing". </p><p>"Oh sir we guarding this place", Arturo explains, Coran puts his hand on his face in embarrassment, "let me guess, Romelle", Arturo eyes the question "Yes why is that wrong", Coran closes his eyes and turn his head and all directions. "Well a little bit wrong, you're all dismissed", without a word, the guards left in the door, leaving him access to the door, Coran said, "But before you go you better change of out of those clothes they're a little old and dirty". </p><p>Keith looked at his appearance and oh man, Coran was right his clothes were terrible, torn, and ragey. He really needed to change his clothes but it doesn't matter now, he has to enter the room with Coran now, but the room was dark and shadowed, so they didn't see one of the mice skitter behind the covers. </p><p>"Shiro, Shiro" he called into the room. Chuchule ordered Plachu, they couldn't let Keith and Coran know Shiro was gone. They put the pillows under the covers, making the appearance at Shiro was sleeping, "huh, Romelle must have had a good reason", Coran said, "great, perfect, this makes the perfect option to steal the crystal" Keith said, reaching out to the steal the covers.</p><p>With a shout "Keith no", Coran leaped out his hand to stop Keith, but it was too late. However, instead of Shiro, it was the mice as always sitting on top of the bed. They gave the two a guilty look. </p><p>"Fantastic", Coran said sarcastically. "First thing I see space mice with an angry boy who is obviously hysterical". He sighed, "okay where they did go?"</p><p>Plachu shrugged, Keith picked up Chuchule, threatening her "hey you rat you better tell us where are the crystal and a man that is so disgusting or else you will be in big trouble, big", Chuchule nodded and with a bite on the hand, Chuchule escaped, scattering her way out of the room.</p><p>"Hey get back from here you're are a dead Rhoden, do you hear me", Keith shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran away.</p><p>With a sigh "what am I going to do now". Coran said, looking at Plachu, "come on we better go find them, oh Romelle you really have done it this time". </p><p>Shiro and Romelle finally made back to the forest. Romelle pulled out her pad, "come on" She said, trying to find the location as well as Shiro tallied her. They were in a beautiful, lush green forest, looking forward to the majestic land of Arus in the distance. </p><p>Although it was the middle of the day, Shiro looked at the sky it was always nighttime but with a hint of the sun if he could just make out the faint green light through the sunlight. If he just followed Romelle, he should be able to get to the well on his own.</p><p>A light breeze blew, whistling through the trees like a promise. When Romelle proceeded through the next part of the forest where the destruction left behind by Mistress Centipeetle. The fallen trees and branches made walking difficult, but that was not the only difficult thing, Romelle's pad started to act up. "please, tell me we're not lost!?" Shiro reacted, When thinking of the position of the well about the great tree. he could know the location or imagine in his head. </p><p>In his own world, the area where he was currently on would be a station-front shopping district that led into a residential area. There were houses and convenience stores, and a small post office.</p><p>But right now, all that was here were trees. The houses and convenience stores and post office wouldn't be built, in fact, they do not exist here. Even the Shirogane Shrine, with all its proud history, didn't exist here. This was a completely different world from the one where Shiro was born and raised. It was a completely unknown world separated by a daunting period and space...</p><p>"No, this thing is acting up". Romelle complained, trying to fix her pad, "Looks like it's being overload from whatever's the energy and where is the signal going from, we must be getting close", Eventually, the well beyond the grove of trees came into view in lights "Uhh... I think it's that way" Shiro said, began to trot. But when he did, somebody put him in a chokehold.</p><p>"...?!" he tried to shout in surprise, but another hand quickly covered his mouth.</p><p>An image of Mistress Centipeetle's six arms flashed through his mind, even though she should have been dead since yesterday. In a panic, he struggled desperately to resist and free himself.</p><p>"Shiro" Romelle yelled as she bolted for him to save him but someone grabs her "Little bitch!" It was a rough male voice.</p><p>"It's not Mistress Centipeetle". Shiro thought As soon as he thought that, she was strangled by a strong force. In an instant, his vision went black as Shiro lost consciousness.</p><p>"Take them back in the base" Haxus ordered his men, "yes sir, Vrepit so!" shouted back. with that, the group of men when back to their leader and delivered them to their target.</p><p>Romelle and Shiro were way over their heads. How are they going to get their way out of this? </p><p>It's going to take a miracle.</p><p>A big miracle.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter Eight: Sendak, The demon arm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>When Shiro tries to find his way back home with the help of Romelle, winds up getting kidnapped by Sendak and his army, forcing Keith to come to the rescue (though he claims that he's still trying to get the Crystal). When Sendak makes off with the Crystal, Shiro's quick thinking may have saved the day...or made things worse!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Then Shiro came to, the scenery was swaying in his mind, but as his vision came into focus, he realized he was being dragged in the ground by a man.</p><p>As these men were completely different from the men in Arus, in fact, they were not the Alteans, they were in fact, the Galra in their black armor directly on their bodies and guns on their hands.</p><p>Before they knew it, Shiro and Romelle had been brought into a base, It seemed to be Hi-Tech within the atmosphere descends over them, as black as nightfall. Shiro's breath catches when as looks up.</p><p>The base had every inch riddled with long-barreled guns and cannons. Guards were everywhere with Bows and arrows, spears, guns, and other weapons were haphazardly lying about.</p><p>"Look it's the samurai." Said one of the Galra soldiers</p><p>"And look what he got, A woman!" Another soldier added</p><p>"He's wearing weird clothes." Said one of the Galra soldiers.</p><p>Shiro was horrified at their unabashed stares. however as they reach the Center of the command center, their troubles will be soon beginning.</p><p>"Commander", Haxus said as he throws Shiro and Romelle violently to the floor. "Kneel!, We acceptably capture our Target"</p><p>"<em>Commander?</em>" Shiro thought as he lifted his head and gaps.</p><p>Before his eyes was a giant, Galra stands well taller than any human; he has mauve fur and yellow eyes, although his right eye has been replaced with a red prosthetic, but also have a large, powerful, and terrifying clawed gauntlet attached to his shoulder by a violet energy chain.</p><p>He also wears a bright red armor, accented with black and dark grays. On its cuirass, the armor has two glowing yellow adornments with a design reminiscent of an aggressive face.</p><p>"Samurai" The man spoke with barks that shoots a tremor up to Shiro's spine, his blood freezing.</p><p>Behind him, a bevy of robotic guards aims their rifles up at him and Romelle in unison. Sweat beads on Shiro's brow.</p><p>"Wow, the contact was right, you sure have returned but reincarnated", He said as he moves closer to inspect him.</p><p>Shiro felt terrified at him although he never showed it.</p><p>"Let him go", Romelle protested. She didn't like being tied up by the Galra but plan to escape with Shiro and protect him.</p><p>"Quiet, Altean woman!" the command snapped at her. "I'll ask the questions, how did you make out the mist this far out?".</p><p>"We just... walked in, Shiro replied. "And we're not doing anything wrong, we just trying to find my way home!"</p><p>The command snorted. "I see, you just so happened to find yourself near the Forest again and try to find the energy source that belongs to the empire".</p><p>"it's not yours!" Romelle protested. "We found it first!, It's for Arus".</p><p>"Arus is under the Empire's protection and me Commander Sendak", The commander said. "You were lucky to make it as far as you did".</p><p>Then he reached his hand toward Shiro. "Give me...the quintessence Crystal!" He soon grabbed the young man and lifted him high up into the air, causing him to gasp in horror before he threw his down to the floor. Shiro groaned as he rubbed his head, then looked up and gasped in shock upon seeing the Galra Commander was holding the quintessence Crystal in his hand! tearing apart his jacket in the process.</p><p>"Oh, no...!" he whispered as he remembered how Coran once said that not only do daemons seek the crystal, but the Galra do, as well...and  using the crystal for their evil purposes.</p><p>"Hey!!" Shiro shouted as he stood up to take the crystal back. "Give it back, you-"</p><p>Before he could finish, the leader stabbed the floor in front of him with his black sword, causing Shiro and Romelle to squeal in fright before Shiro looked up and saw the gargantuan man towering over him.</p><p>The giant man taunts, "if you want the crystal back samurai then fight me!... Let's see if you can take me on yourself!"</p><p>"<em>He's gonna kill me...by fighting me,</em>" Shiro thought, cursed under his breath, he never fought beforehand except in a self-defense class at the Garrison. but this wasn't his world anymore and he didn't even want to imagine it.</p><p>"Please, we were just trying to find my way home, We mean you no harm! We're unarmed!" Shiro shouted as he stood up to Sendak.</p><p>The Galra officer chuckles "I know".</p><p>Shiro was confused, but suddenly one of the guards behind him has knocked him out.</p><p>"Take him to the lab, the scientists going to have a field day with him" Sendak ordered.</p><p>"Yes sir", One of the Galra soldiers responded as they dragged Shiro towards a corridor, far away from Romelle.</p><p>"What shall we do with the Altean woman", Haxus asked.</p><p>"Take her away", Sendak ordered, with that the soldiers took Romelle way to another corridor.</p><p>While Shiro and Romelle are still trapped at the base, Arus was in a state of panic and worry. Coran with one of those worried.</p><p>"There's no sign of them anywhere," Arturo said.</p><p>"...Oh, dear," Coran said with worry etching his wrinkled features. "I meant I know about Romelle but Shiro, could it be that he has gone off on his own? I warned him of those who sought the quintessence Crystal...did I not warn him nearly enough?"</p><p>Upon the branches of one of the trees, Keith happened to be sitting nearby when his pricked-up ears happened to catch their conversation as he now dressed in the clothes that Coran gave to him, a Navy v-neck t-shirt underneath a red, white, and yellow jacket that cropped to his ribcage, with the large cuffs of the jacket rolled up to expose their white color, The collar of the jacket stands propped upright.</p><p>Along with wears black pants that his shirt overlaps; his boots are white with black and red accents. His black gloves are fingerless and expose part of his hand before strapping together over the wrist. At his waist, a brown utility belt with a silver rectangular buckle in the center and two lighter brown pouches at either hip. Strapped to the belt at his lower back is the silver-colored dagger that he used to defeat Mistress Centipeetle.</p><p>He then glanced toward the forest that had been named after him before a growl rumbled in his throat.</p><p>He had always known about the risks for the Kerberos mission. The landscape of space was so obvious and the warnings of mining ice for samples had been repeated to him at the Garrison, like a lot.</p><p>"No absolutely not", a voice so deep and gruff that echo the office room that Shiro was in.</p><p>"Why not Iverson? he's cleared all his physicals". said a voice that in the same room that Shiro was in.</p><p>"I don't care what the doctor says, this man is sick and shouldn't be sent on another mission, especially as far away as Kerberos!?". Commander Iverson said, a black man who had one bad eye on the left side on his face, "l have to report this to flight command and the admiral as well".</p><p>Shiro had schooled a frown. why does this something happen to him, he worked so hard to get this far.</p><p>"Shiro is the best pilot in the garrison by far, he's saved my bacon in deep space more times than I can count, If he doesn't go on this mission, neither do I".</p><p>Shiro is surprised someone stood up for him especially Dr. Holt or Sam as he called him when he's not working, who got him into the Galaxy Garrison after his grandfather's death and best friends with his parents.</p><p>Yet nothing, absolutely nothing, reminds him of his mortality like being a prisoner on another world with an alien group known as the Galra Empire. Shiro grunted as he laid on a table in some type of laboratory with his legs, arm and body all strapped down on the table.</p><p>Then Shiro noticed something strange tingle on his right side of his stump, but that was impossible, his right arm was devoured by Mistress Centipeetle, however when he lifts his head and gaps as he saw a rather demon arm.</p><p>They experiment on him, is ordered to repair him for a fight with a crazy Galra man, and for what? he only hopes that Romelle is ok.</p><p>"<em>Curses wenches</em>," Keith thought as he leaped through the trees. "<em>What is he thinking, wandering off on his own, and with the Crystal, no less?!</em>"</p><p>Soon, he arrived at the spot where Shiro and  Romelle had last been seen, but the only things he found there were signs of a scuffle, one of Shiro's shoes, and a trail of drag marks in the dirt, heading deep into the woods.</p><p>"...Great," Keith sneered before he began to follow the trail.</p><p>Meanwhile back at the base where Romelle was taken outside of the base by the Galra soldiers. </p><p>"Hold...her..." Said one of the Galra soldiers </p><p>"Right!" one of the guards said as he and a second one grabbed Romelle by the arms, restricting her movement, while the boss held up his sword, preparing to cleave her in two with the blade.</p><p>"Sendak ordered us to kill her?!" asked one of the Galra soldiers.</p><p>"Heh...what a waste," scoffed another.</p><p>"<em>Oh, no...!</em>" thought Romelle as she saw the blade come down on her. "<em>I can't look!!</em>" She turned her head away and screwed her eyes shut, preparing for the blade to cut into her face...but then, just as Romelle braced herself, a red blur suddenly burst through the wall and jumped in between her and the blade, which snapped in half upon colliding with a sleeve of crimson. As Romelle opened her eyes, she saw that it was Keith!</p><p>"Keith!" she exclaimed.</p><p>"Keith?!" asked one of the Galra soldiers. "You mean that half-daemon that was sealed at the great tree."</p><p>"Keith...you saved me-" Romelle started.</p><p>"Where's the crystal?" asked Keith.</p><p>"Huh?" Romelle asked in surprise.</p><p>"The crystal, you dolt!" Keith barked. "Where is it?!"</p><p>"...Oh...right," Romelle answered.</p><p>"<em>Of course, he only came for the Crystal,</em>" she thought.</p><p>"Urrrgh..." the Galra soldier moaned as he lumbered toward Keith, who glared at him before ordered the Galra soldiers to Open fire and Kill them! Before, stumbling back out of the half-circle of guards.</p><p>But Keith quickly maneuvered them and pulled out his dagger and leaped through the Galra soldiers's guns, shredding every single one.</p><p>Romelle was trance by the way he fighting against the Galra soldiers until he run off to the base, leaving Romelle behind to deal with the other Galra soldiers that were planning to execute her. </p><p>Looking around for a fight with, she saw a spear lying on the floor. She'd have learned fencing, archery, athletics, and other skills in combat; but she never allowed nor to touch a weapon in her lifetime, seizing her chance, Romelle grabbed the spear before turning to face the Galra soldiers, pointing the spearhead at them. </p><p>"Stop right there!" she demanded as she runs towards the Galra soldiers. </p><p>Inside the base, Keith ran as fast as his legs could carry him, it just had to be him, it just had to, Immediately after the recollection, a guard noticed him and pulled out a baton. The soldier swing at him, from the upper left to the lower right. Keith easily back-stepped and dodged it. </p><p>He then quickly stuck out his leg at a sideways angle and kicked the baton out of the Galra soldier's hand before getting in close to him, giving two quick punches to the guy's gut and finished him off with an uppercut to his jaw. </p><p>Keith walked further into the base where he made his way down the hallway before coming to a divergent, two different halls stood in front of him. </p><p>"Great, now, which way?" Keith questioned as he noticed a Galra sentry walking by, he quickly moved to the right as he ran away from the guard. </p><p>Back with Shiro in the lab where the scientist studies his newfound monster arm, the young man struggled against his restraints as he looked to see Sendak, the scientist, and two sentries in the room, The scientist was wearing a mask that covered his entire face. </p><p>Shiro stared at Sendak as one of the Galra sentries injected some sort of liquid into his human arm, Shiro guessed that whatever was in that vile was some sort of anesthetic as he started to feel himself get weaker.</p><p>His pulse thunders in his ears when he picks it up and brings it over, setting the end of its upper arm flush with the organic stump of his own.</p><p>He could die. This was it. This might just be his last moments alive. He shuts his eyes tight when he feels vibrations of magical locks on the flesh, merging the limb into place. </p><p>Trenches in the arm's plating pulse with blood. Points like nails dig into his skin, erupting all across the end of his stump.</p><p>Suddenly, a flash of light blooms across his vision. He looks over to his right shoulder when a strange tingle itch in his brain and an uncomfortable resonance creep up his spine. </p><p>He shivers when a dark presence prods as if you were getting in a lobotomy at the base of his skull.</p><p>Stop! Stop, he tells it, but to no avail as he started to faint. </p><p>"Status is functional", the scientist said  "Pulse, cortisol levels are high, but he's stable." </p><p>"Interesting, what you're saying he will be ready to fight," Sendak says, clicking his tongue. </p><p>"It's possible, but these readings are off the chart." The scientist told him.</p><p>Then suddenly, another scientist had entered the room, unlike the other one, he wearing a mask that covered his nose and mouth, leaving only his eyes visible. </p><p>"Sir". He said. </p><p>"Yes, what is it" Sendak commanded</p><p>"An Intruder had entered the base and our soldiers are unable to handle the woman." He said. </p><p>"What...stay here with the prisoner, I will deal with this situation myself." Sendak ordered. </p><p>"Yes sir." The scientist said, with that Sendak left the room to deal with Keith. </p><p>Back outside with Romelle, She did her best to fend off the Galra soldiers, in the meantime Keith continued to run around the Galra base, before returning to the same divergent that he had started at before. </p><p>"You've got to be kidding me." Keith exclaimed. </p><p>"There's got to be a way to get through this base." He through as he nodded and closed his eyes as he cleared his mind, before he heard voices, seeing Shiro tied up in the laboratory, he quickly memorized the way to get there before turning around. </p><p>"Gotcha". The half-daemon quickly ran towards Shiro, before being stop by a massive hand appeared before him, it was Sendak. </p><p>Smirking on his face and realized that he was the boss, Keith charged right back at Sendak as he launching his massive arm at him.</p><p>"You will not stop me, half-breed." Sendak growled as he lunged at him, trying to catch him but Keith did a controlled fall onto his back, sliding through the man's legs. </p><p>He then used his arms to twist his body around him, swinging his legs so they knocked the man off of his own. Keith didn't even feel a twinge of guilt as Sendak face planted onto the floor but it causes the Galra man to get ever angry at him. </p><p>Back with Shiro and the scientists, Shiro was starting to wake up and gasped. </p><p>"Oh, shoot he's awake." He said as he got another anesthetic for Shiro, however the other scientist stopped the scientist from putting the dose in his body. </p><p>"Dr. Pershing, Stop right there." He said. </p><p>"Why, I'm following orders here!" Dr. Pershing said. </p><p>"Well I want him awake enough to feel this". The scientist officer said. </p><p>"Ok, you may want to save your self-congratulation. The integration was successful, but now comes the difficult part, how is his connect to his Daemon". Dr. Pershing explain.</p><p>"My connection, Daemons?" Shiro wonders, recalling that he has a connection with Keith. </p><p>"Where should we begin?" the attendant asks as he started to make his way over to the console, what happened next shocked Shiro, he saw that scientist go to Dr. Pershing standing by the console, smashing him against the wall before punching out the sentries by the door. Shiro then saw the doctor take off his half-mask and pull out a small needle from his uniform and attached it to his Daemon arm. </p><p>"Listen to me. We do not have much time". The officer said. </p><p>Shiro tried to focus on the Galra's words, however he still had anesthetic in his brain, just as he was about to fade into unconsciousness, the young man felt a slap on the face, causing him to groaned as he watched the Galra place the needle back in his uniform. </p><p>"Wake up!" The officer shouted. "Your friends are in danger, you must get out here." </p><p>Shiro noticed the officer fiddling with the table that he was on. "What are you doing?" </p><p>"I have planted a bomb to cover your escape. Get out, now!" He ordered, stealing the human. </p><p>"Who are you?" Shiro asked. </p><p>"I am Ulaz. Now, come on!" </p><p>Ulaz shuffled Shiro out of the medical bay and into the hallway just outside the room. As they looked out for any sentries or soldiers Ulaz spoke again. </p><p>"Sendak will contact Zarkon to know that I released you, so I must disappear, but if you survive go find Sokka, he'll know what to do, The Blade of Marmora is with you". </p><p>"Why are you helping me?" Shiro questioned, he gripped his head, maybe the anesthetic was still in his brain. </p><p>"You are the Samurai and the key of ending this war. Hurry up! Altea needs you." Ulaz explained. "We all do". </p><p>Then Ulaz quickly spouted off directions to Shiro, before going in the opposite direction. The young man figured that he must have his own escape route planned. Shiro got to his feet and made his way down the hallway to find Romelle and Keith. </p><p>Elsewhere, Keith was continuing his fight with Sendak, where Sendak threw his bulky arm, in a right hook trying to get on Keith's head, however, the half-daemon saw it coming from a mile away. Keith ducked, crouching and decided to make this as quick as possible.</p><p>Before the giant man had a chance to react to Keith's dodge, the half-daemon stuck out his fist, heading straight into the man's groin. </p><p>The big man let out a load groan as he placed his hands over his private area, but wasn't enough to take Sendak down as he managed to recover. </p><p>"Impressive for a half-breed." Sendak said. </p><p>"You're not bad yourself... especially someone is power up by a gem." Keith exclaimed. </p><p>Sendak gaps by the statement.  </p><p>"So you've got the crystal, don't you?" asked the boy as he flexed his dagger and slashed the chest plate. </p><p>But Sendak extended his massive fist and crashes it down over Keith's head. </p><p>Causing Keith to rolls to the side just as it craters into the metal-plated floor, then ducks as a crosswise swipe fly over him as Sendak toys with him like a cat chasing a mouse all around someone else's house. </p><p>"Stop running, half-breed!" Sendak yelled. </p><p>Keith was about to respond when he was hit by a laser, luckily he took most of the damage, despite having no shield to defend himself, Keith charged right back at Sendak who in turn, launching his massive arm at Keith again. </p><p>Then suddenly, Shiro arriving in the room, Keith stared at him but it causes him to miss his target and making the perfect target for Sendak's punch in the face and onto the ground. </p><p>Shiro was worried for Keith, this man probably had experiences fighting and killing people with no end in sight, further its own ends! but It didn't matter to Shiro if this huge man was already going to complete what he started, he'd been itching for a fight and now he's got it in the form of Keith.</p><p>"<em>Come on, Ulaz, where is that bomb</em>". Shiro thought as he when he came to check on Keith.  </p><p>He saw Keith pass out free exhaustion, before a large explosion went off in the area, surprising everyone including Sendak and Romelle, the impact from the blast caused the glass in the room to break, causing Sendak to escape. </p><p>"I will not be defeated by a pathetic half breed like you". Sendak curled as he jump out the window, carrying the crystal with him. </p><p>"Dammit!" Keith cursed as he threw the his dagger at Sendak, but this time, it was too far out of his aim. "Get back here, you coward!!"</p><p>"Now what do we do?!" asked Shiro.</p><p>"What do you mean 'we'?!" asked Keith. "This is your fault!!"</p><p>"My fault?!" Shiro questioned. "Excuse me?!!"</p><p>"You heard me!!" Keith barked as he charged right back into the fight before he spotted a gun on the floor.</p><p>"What is it?" Shiro asked.</p><p>"...Come here," said Keith as he grabbed Shiro by the arm while picking up the gun and running towards the outside of the base. </p><p>Meanwhile, Romelle took out as many Galra soldiers as she could while Keith and Shiro was sprinting through the base, just then, Galra sentries entered the room closing on the two, they took fighting stance when Shiro's deamon arm started to glow. </p><p>The young man gasped and gripped his arm in pain, the sound around him seems distorted, however when Shiro realized what he needed to do. He charged at the Galra sentries using his now glowing arm to block their fire, the young man also using his now to cut their armor, making short work of them. </p><p>However, just as the last sentry fell, Keith was surprise by the way that Shiro was fighting, but that had to wait, as right now, Sendak was Keith's only target. </p><p>Back with Romelle, she taking down the men like it was child's play or Ashoka style when she's taking out enemies.</p><p>"Come on, how many more are there!" Romelle exasperated as she feels exhausted, just then, Sendak appeared before her and faced her before launching his arm at her as she dodged and ran away. However, this was all a ruse as Romelle used a holographic trick on Sendak. </p><p>As Sendak went down outside the base, chasing her clone, Romelle rushed into inside of the command center to find Shiro. </p><p>However, Sendak's large arm returned and grabbed Romelle pulled her back towards him. </p><p>"Did you really think that your little holograph trick would work on me?" Sendak growled. </p><p>The Galra Commander noticed two people coming outside the base, Keith and Shiro arrived, with the half-daemon branching out his dagger, Sendak then held Romelle in front of him. </p><p>"Stand back!" Sendak warned. "Your friend will be cru-". </p><p>Sendak was interrupted by a laser hitting in the back, causing him to drop Romelle, Keith were surprised to see that Shiro, who was holding a blaster that Keith had given him and blasted Sendak. </p><p>Keith then charged at Sendak who easily punched back, though it gave Romelle the distraction in order to change Sendak. The Galra officer then extended his larger arm to push the girl away. </p><p>"You're not getting away that easily!!" Romelle shouted after it before she looked back at Shiro. "Hey! Don't just sit there! Shoot him again!!"</p><p>"What?!" Shiro questioned while holding the gun in his hands. "What do you mean, shoot him?! seriously." </p><p>"Yeah, you're having the gun." Keith barked as he charged right back at Sendak with his dagger and then used his arms to twist his body around Sendak, to hold him in place. </p><p>"Do it!" Keith shouted "Allura was a master archer, so all it'll take is one shot!!"</p><p>Shiro nodded before he began to take aim at Sendak, who was holding the quintessence Crystal on his armor. </p><p>"Okay..." Shiro whispered as it looked like he got a clear shot. "Here it goes...!"</p><p>He soon pulled the trigger on the back on the gun, preparing to let go.</p><p>"Now! Shoot!!" Keith called.</p><p>"Go!!" Shiro shouted as he fired the gun...and at first, it looked like it was about to hit its target...but then it barely missed the target as it hit the Galra man by the legs. </p><p>"What?!" Shiro questioned while Keith gaped in disbelief.</p><p>"...Okay, I'm starting to see the difference between you and Allura, now," he deadpanned.</p><p>"Oh, be quiet!" Romelle yelled. "We gotta stop him!!"</p><p>"And then what?!" Keith questioned.</p><p>"Uh...I dunno...yet," Romelle replied.</p><p>"Ugh!" Keith groaned as he followed Sendak. "Of all the people I get stuck with, why do I have to put up with you?!"</p><p>With that, Keith, Romelle, and Shiro follow the Galra Commander to the base's battlements, where Keith flexed his dagger, once more and leaped up into the air.</p><p>"Where are you going." Keith said as he stopped Sendak in his tracks, where he flexed on Sendak's hand, which he was holding the quintessence Crystal. "You have something that belongs to us!" </p><p>"Oh, really." Sendak said. </p><p>"Really." Keith said as he throws his dagger at Sendak. "Magical daemon art, Soul Stealer!!" </p><p><strong>SLASH!!!</strong> The dagger obliterated the energy stream that held the two halves of the arm together. </p><p>"No!" Sendak yelled, he continued fighting Keith as Shiro and Romelle made their way to get behind Sendak. </p><p>"Can you shoot him." Romelle asked. </p><p>"If I can get a clear shot", Shiro answered. </p><p>"Ok!" Romelle said as she joined the fight.</p><p>While they would duking it out, Shiro saw a familiar light, shining from Sendak's punch.</p><p>"<em>The Crystal!</em>" he thought "<em>He's holding it in his hand!!</em>" </p><p>"Get back here!!" Keith shouted as he tried to grab Sendak, but he flew out of his reach. </p><p>"Shit...damn Sendak is slippery! He keep running until his body completely absorbs the Crystal!!" Keith said </p><p>"I know." Romelle shouted. </p><p>"<em>What am I gonna do?!</em>" thought Shiro. "<em>At this rate, Sendak will...</em>" He then gasped as a proverbial light bulb over his head. He looked at Sendak's arm and look around the battlements and found a cannon before he began to take aim, once more.</p><p>"What are you doing?!" Keith questioned. "You won't be able to hit it from this distance!!"</p><p>"Hey...don't listen to him", Romelle protested "You going to do fine."  </p><p>"Will you two be quiet." Shiro barked, taking Keith and Romelle back a bit before he pulled back on the cannon. "This time...it's gotta hit it...!" With that, he loosed the trigger...and that's when Keith spotted something attached to it: Sendak's severed arm! </p><p>"...I get it now...!" he whispered in realized. "The crystal is connected to him...so that means...!" </p><p> "The arm will end up hitting him!" Shiro concluded, and sure enough, the massive arm ended up hitting Sendak and causing him to let go of the crystal. </p><p>"The crystal!" Said Keith. </p><p>"I'll get it". Romelle shouted, but after Shiro got off the cannon, the Crystal glowing softly like stars, all over the land.</p><p>"Coran! Look there!" called one of the Altean, pointing toward the lights. "Those lights...could they be...?!"</p><p>"...Oh, dear," Coran said. "This does not bode well."</p><p>"Ah...?!" Sendak gasped as he watched the light silently fade into the sky along with Shiro, Romelle, and Keith, then vanish. </p><p>"What... was that light...?" Sendak wondered to himself. </p><p>His chest was pounding, he had the feeling something terrible had just happened. No, it wasn't just a feeling, it was more of a certainty. </p><p>And his captives were gone but gone where. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This chapter for me was a never-ending hell since everything was getting deleted from the page.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter Nine: Balto</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After surviving Sendak, Shiro and his two friends, Keith and Romelle find themselves in a mysterious swamp, far away from Arus, forcing them to find their way back home and hopefully survive each other's throats.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Shiro yet again awoke, this time to the sound of crashing waterfalls, he felt the touch of water drops on his face, he opened his eyes and raised his head. He had fallen onto a mat of moss, not far from the water's edge, a small wave broke out against the current, the water swept along the strand, bathing his legs.</p><p>Unexpectedly, the water was not cold, Shiro lay there on the moss and let the waves wash against him, the Petrichor smell of the lake water surrounded him, something about the smell of blood. So the next surge flooded his knees, the water drop falling churned up his skin.</p><p>"<em>This deep scent of the lake</em>" Shiro fought as he looks at his feet, the water lapping his body was stained red, he glanced at the gray surface, up at the wide the cypress swamps trees that covered the sky, he looked down again, the water was indeed red.</p><p>He searched for the source, "ah" he said.</p><p>His legs, the crimson streams were washing from his skin, he bolted to his feet, his hands and feet were stained red, even his Garrison uniform or whatever left of it, had turned a dark maroon.</p><p>"Blood" he moaned, the whole body was stained with blood, his hands were black and purple on his right arm is sticky with the gore as were his face and hair, he cried out, splashed down amid rainwater. The water rushed in muddy gray and receded crimson.</p><p>He scooped up the water in his hands to wash his face, as much as he scrubbed at his hands, he's starting to recover the natural tone of his skin.</p><p>However, he notices a piece of his skin was peeling off from his face, he rips off the dead piece of skin as the surf rose to his waist, a pool of the color purple spread out around him, scarlet beneath the darkness-charcoal sky.</p><p>Shiro again raised his hand, his right arm to his face, in front of his eyes, his arm has started to show glowing swirly marks. Lengthening, vines on the skin as he is</p><p>"What?" Shiro said.</p><p>He touches his face again, there was a multitude of small cracks started to form, a fragment of his skin peeled off, wafted away in the wind, and tumbled into the water, beneath the skin was a mat of glowing-swirling purple skin.</p><p>"No, I don't believe this" Shiro said, shouting in horror as he brushed his hand against his purple arm, more skin glow or flecked away revealing purple skin. Every time he moved, he shed flesh.</p><p>A light wave swirled surrounded him, his uniform shredded as if melted away by acid, water washes away the skin and the lake ran magenta into the darkness.</p><p>The swirl on his hand, the glow on part of his body, he was turning into some kind of beast or worse, the galra.</p><p>"No, no, no" Shiro sobbed, his uniform fell to pieces, along with the glowing, both his eyes flashes into a different color, one black, one white.</p><p>"<em>What's going on is, it the blood or the arm making me this way.</em>" Shiro thought. </p><p>It not possible, Shiro screamed, "ahh". In his own ears, he heard no recollection sounds, not the meditation rain, only the roar of a beast.</p><p>"Shiro"</p><p>"<strong>Shiro</strong>" </p><p>Shiro's eyes snapped open, Romelle were leaning over him, with concern all over her's face. </p><p>"Romelle!" He whispered as he starting to wake up. </p><p>"I'm glad you're okay". Romelle said. </p><p>"Romelle what happened?" Shiro asked, slowly sitting up, head whacking like crazy. </p><p>"We were at Sendak's Base, facing certain death with him" Romelle replied, turning her eyes in annoyance on Keith, who was also there, like a cool guy loitering, "And also we develop in this crazy light". </p><p>"<em>Crazy light</em>" Shiro thought as he looked to the pale blue sky, his whole body hurts like hell, like his head. </p><p>"And there's also something else, so don't freak out", Romelle said, trying to remain calm as possible, this makes Shiro realizing something about his hands, holding them up, his eyes went suddenly in shocked. </p><p>"Whoa, what happened to me" Shiro said, he has two different arms, one normal human arm and the other, a completely alien arm, the exact same one in his dream, except it isn't glowing or swirly.  </p><p>"Yeah, It's not that bad," Romelle said, " I don't know why he would do that but at least you're having two arm again." </p><p>"Not that bad, I just survived a horrible experience evolving scientists and needles, you think that you'll be okay!" Shiro cried. </p><p>"No". Romelle said. </p><p>"Ahh, what a shocker, as long as you're not brain damage," Keith mocking. </p><p>Shiro sighed to himself, he tilted his head, noting that the light that in his right hand gave off was quite similar to that of the quintessence Crystal. In fact, it was the crystal in the palm in his hand, trying to remember what happened.</p><p>All came into a flash, it back to him, Sendak, Ulaz, the experiment performed on him and Sokka, Sokka.</p><p>"<em>Sokka, can't believe I forgot about that</em>" Shiro thought as he about to clamber his feet but his muscles were so stiff he could barely move, normally his muscles become sluggish and hardened to the core but it wasn't like that, it was regular pain.</p><p>He lay there taking a few stretching exercises after another, little by little the pain subsided, some kind of motion returning from his body.</p><p>He sat up, spiling off himself a blanket of moss, moss, it certainly looked like moss, he glanced about his location and saw a forest of cypress trees in bodies of water, showing that they were really in a swamp, looking up, the tops of the trees were snapped off, revealing the brown wood underneath, they must fall from those trees. </p><p>"Where's the quintessence Crystal?!" Keith barked. </p><p>Rather than answer Keith's irritating question, Shiro made his way standing up, while examined the rest of everybody's body and found no serious injuries, just a few scrapes, and bruises, nothing out of ordinary it seemed, with that out of the way, he notice the crystal in his hand, indicating that he's the one that grab the crystal first but not wanting Keith to have it, so he put it into his pocket. </p><p>"Here's an idea, Keith, how about we find our way out of this swamp." Romelle protested as she looking for a way out, a light haze drifted across the setting sunlight, she peered into the distance and then consulted her display pad. </p><p>"<em>I can do this, I survived a base I can surely survive this</em>". she thought.</p><p>"Hey...where is the Crystal!" Keith said. </p><p>"Hey, you do realize that we are a place that we have no idea where we are." Shiro said. </p><p>"Yeah, I know...but I have survived worse." Keith said. </p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure you survived worse." Romelle replied. "Come on, guys. Let's go".  </p><p>But as she started walking, she almost fell in, over the edge of the trunk, where the water is. "Oh!" She said as she stopped. </p><p>"<em>Ok</em>" Romelle thought. </p><p>Taking deep breaths, she jumped on the next tree branch which Shiro soon follow. While Keith went the other way around.</p><p>"Hey, where are you going!" Shiro said. </p><p>"Finding my own way, you dick!" Keith grunted in a mocking tone. </p><p>"Well, we will find our own way, loser." Romelle replied. </p><p>Then out of nowhere, Keith's arm suddenly glows up again in the exact same way that pushes Keith back to Shiro. </p><p>"Oh man, I forgot about the mark again." Keith said,  struck the ground with his fist in frustration.</p><p>"<em>Mark</em>" Shiro thought as he wondering about Keith on what he said, he looked at his left arm, and notice that It was glowing, "<em>the Mark, how could I forget the Mark</em>", Shiro remembered that he is a d-user so he and Keith are connected. </p><p>Despise Keith's protests, the pull was too great, after minutes of agonizing pain, Keith accepted his fate.</p><p>"Okay, lead the way" Keith says. </p><p>Romelle smiled, she really enjoyed this, the mood in her really brings out the joy in this situation that they were in. </p><p>"Let's go".  She said. </p><p>Minutes later, Shiro, Keith, and Romelle continue their trek, hopping onto the next branch on to the next. </p><p>"You're positive we're going the right way, Romelle?" Shiro asked. </p><p>"I know what I'm doing Shiro!" Romelle snapped.</p><p>But Shiro and Keith could take that she was confused, she kept staring at the sky, hoping to find a sense of direction on her pad and mope.</p><p>Between Romelle's hits on the situation and Keith's reluctance, Shiro had just been thinking about getting home as quickly as possible, to the home where Adam, Sam, and the others were waiting to the world where he originally belonged. To earth.</p><p>Today he'd gone to that well to see whether or not there was a way home. If he hadn't been abducted by those soldiers and that brute, Sendak. He would have jumped in the well, Yes, he could have been relaxing at home right about now and he would have been thinking, wow, what a crazy thing happened to him. </p><p>"Hey," Keith said, "Are you okay". </p><p>"I'm fine." Shiro said. "I never expect this to happen to me". </p><p>"Well, what else were you expecting?" Keith questioned. </p><p>"Well, I expect to go home, focused on my work, and eat some chocolate on the usual cheat day!" Shiro answered. </p><p>"Oh, cry me a river," Keith said, sarcastically. "I haven't tasted chocolate". </p><p>"Fair enough," Shiro concerned. "Since I remember you said, earlier that you bring terror to the hearts to enemies who wanting the crystal".</p><p>"Yeah, l have." Keith said before he turned back to Romelle, but for some strange reason, Keith never view her as an enemy, sure she can take a punch and act like a badass, but had a bad sense of direction. </p><p>"You know she's no sense of direction, right?" Keith asked. "How can you follow her? We have no idea where we are" </p><p>"I know, but we just have to trust her," Shiro asked. </p><p>"Trust her, well if I'm being honest, she's not exactly the explorer type", Keith replied, shrugged. "Or the survivor type". </p><p>As if on cue, Romelle let out an angry scream and continue hopping on the tree's branch yet again.</p><p>"<em>See?</em>" Keith thought. </p><p>Shiro smiled. "You never got out more, have you?" </p><p>Keith shook his head, "Well, I have been sealed to a tree for years."</p><p>Romelle gasped and Shiro and Keith hurried to catch up to her, she was frozen in place, staring at the remains of what they assumed had once been a village. It was scorned black.</p><p>"What happened to this place?" Shiro asked.</p><p>"It was the galra, they are vile creatures and enemies to all free people," Romelle said. "The same ones that abducted us almost got killed and give you that arm".</p><p>"Why?" Keith questioned as Romelle grabbed Shiro's arm and led him to a broken-down sentry. Painted on the side was the unmistakable logo of the Galra empire. </p><p>"They are heartless destroyers," Romelle said, tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. </p><p>As Romelle walk away in tears, Shiro wondered this is more than he bargained for, he knew that people were after the crystal but it felt more than that and soon the group continues on their merry way.</p><p>Later into the night, "Is this swamp so possible to navigate," Romelle frustrated, she was right, it the night as she surveyed her surroundings, the moon was high and the stars were around the halo of the moon, even though it was beautiful, the water looks like completely black, minus a few stars, the swamp crowded whatever land they could find but some dry land that is. </p><p>"Hey, don't worry, we'll try to find some way," Shiro said, ensuring her, he was right, they were alive, no life-threatening injuries, that was the sum of it, it did not seem to be any enemies nearby. </p><p>"Yeah, if we make it back all right!" Keith said, "But between you and me, you're a completely stupid girl". </p><p>"You think I wanted to be here, stupid." Romelle protested, "Especially with you who enjoys burning out buildings." </p><p>"Seriously, you're still on that!" Keith said.</p><p>"Everyone on Aurs still on that!" Romelle yelled. "And I'm trying to find your way back home?" </p><p>"Well, you're not doing a good job", Keith yelled with a sarcastic laugh "far from it".</p><p>Romelle jumped to her feet, "do you think I wanted to be here, to be stranded in a swamp, do you think I wanted to taken to Sendak, the Galra are monsters and you no better than they were, half-breed." </p><p>Keith's eyes widened by the comment, "half-breed? You are a half-breed and the monster, especially your Priestess decided to seal me for years." He shouted.</p><p>"Whoa, everybody chill!" Shiro said, standing up and separating them, "Romelle, he did save us!" </p><p>"I don't care I had to deal with soldiers while he was off doing his own thing." Romelle said. "We can't trust him, especially after everything he's done!" </p><p>Keith's glare softened when Romelle began to sob, however, she quickly wiped away her tears and dried her eyes. </p><p>"We need to find a way to get there before dark, Coran is probably worried about us!" Romelle said as she walked away from Shiro and Keith.</p><p>Now it just the two of them now. </p><p>"Hey, so." Shiro said, trying to not make this all gloomy as possible. "Thanks for trying to save us by the way". </p><p>"Okay, well, I didn't save you, I just wanted to get the crystal." Keith said, rolling his eyes. </p><p>"Are you sure it's not because you secretly like us?" Shiro teased, leaning closer to me. </p><p>Keith chuckled and backed away him, "Wh—? I don't like you. You already has a random guy I just met", Keith turned around and walked away from him. </p><p>"Sure", he said following him. </p><p>A few minutes later, Shiro, Romelle, and Keith came to a spot where a small marsh had strewed upon them but had many flowers, like lotus and moonflowers, plastered on the water against the thicket of Cattail. </p><p>"Ok, we camp here for the night!" Romelle exasperated. </p><p>Keith look around the place and see a serpent hissed before them, before hissed back at it, then turned around to Romelle and Shiro. </p><p>"Are you sure this is safe!" Keith said. </p><p>"It's not ideal but we on a long journey." Romelle replied. </p><p>"Whatever!" Keith said before he turned and stormed out. "I'm going hunting!" </p><p>"Okay!" Shiro said as he walked over to the marsh where beyond the marsh was a large stone over the marsh.  </p><p>Shiro approached the edge of the stone, closer, it was standing at the top of a tall mountain that reminded him of the desert where ride his hoverbike to the nearby locations to look at the stars, what he saw was amazing.</p><p>It was not the sheer height of the stone, it was the water and the reflection of the pond, black as the night sky, almost blue and violet in its blackness, even in the light of dawn, the marsh looked like night.</p><p>But then, he followed up into the sky, he realized that not the water itself but the sky itself, it was perfectly clear, how far are they, he could not believe to imagine, the sky must be so vast and so beautiful that no light can surpass it.</p><p>Vertigo overcame him, he sat down, wondering "I don't recognize any of these constellations. We must be a long, long way from Earth! " He'd every constellation from memory to books, stars, nebulas, and galaxies, reaching out below him had made him forget that he was not in his own world.</p><p>"<strong>Takashi Shirogane</strong>" </p><p>Shiro gasps as he hears the voice in the hinges rustling among the marsh, something glowing. Shiro jumps.</p><p>"Who's there?" he repeats. </p><p>Cautious, Shiro left the stone to bent closer and studied on what hiding in the bushes, two tiny, terrified eyes stared up at him, "come out I won't hurt you". </p><p>Coming out, it looked just like some type of larva, not like the ones that you see from Earth. It had a large head but its body appearance is fairly small, only just bigger than Shiro's hand. He has blue glowing skin, white eyes, and large webbie arms, and the weirdest part of all, it was floating on the water's surface. </p><p>"Stats" it whimpered in fear. With one webbed arm raised, it took a hesitant step toward Shiro, moving ever so slowly, like a frightened puppy or animal.</p><p>Shiro was deeply touched. He wondered if the creature had been separated from his home or misunderstood. Those were feelings he could easily relate to. He crouched down closer to leaned in, then stretched a hand out to the glowing creature. </p><p>A thought came to him, reaching out to his bag, he got out a granola bar and open its wrapping. The creature looked at them curiously before Shiro gave it a piece of a granola bar and eating it. As the creature ate, the glow eased around them. </p><p>"Stats", it playfully shot out loud, Shiro was surprised, he has seen a lot of dangerous stuff out here since came from the well, moments like these makes him feel happy and safe. So is not a big deal. </p><p>"Whoa! You were hungry, weren't you?" Shiro said, looking at the creature's appetite, "I wonder where you came from". </p><p>"Stats", snuggled in the crevices of Shiro's lap. The small glow went out in the other areas of the march. The wind crept up behind Shiro, he sighed, the moments he had just shared with this beautiful creature had been... magical. </p><p>"This place is truly amazing, a great view of the sky?" He whispered to his new friend. </p><p>He turned his head and glanced over his shoulder, the stars looking, even more, bluer than before, "do you want to know about the universe" Shiro said to the creature, "No? Nothing?" The creature just stare with its black beanie eyes "Hmm, should I know what that means?, I'm in another universe". </p><p>Then the silence between them was interrupted when Keith appeared, carrying a dead bird. </p><p>"Dinner!" Keith deadpanned as shortly one after, the bird was pluck and skillet to eat. </p><p>Shiro and Romelle had eat some of the bird while Keith was eating a bird leg. </p><p>"What?" Keith asked as he was being stare at by Shiro and Romelle. </p><p>"Nothing!" Shiro said. </p><p>"Do you have something to say, just say it!" Keith barked. </p><p>"Thanks for dinner!" Shiro said, politely. </p><p>"Huh...oh yeah, you're welcome." Keith said.</p><p>In a lot of minutes later, after the fire was out and nothing left of the bird, Shiro, Keith and Romelle had falling asleep. However, Shiro was not. Instead he was tossed and turned on the spot, trying to sleep but the images of Allura, the Samurai, and the strange voices pounding in his head. </p><p>Shiro gasped and sat up straight in the spot where Romelle and Keith were sleeping on the left and right while Stats curled up at Shiro's stomach asleep. </p><p>And finally, Shiro couldn't take it anymore, so he got out from his spot and standing on his feet. As he looked around to recognized where he was. </p><p>Then suddenly, Shiro notice something glowing in the trees on the edge of the area. But what was in the center of front of us, amazed him. </p><p>It was a silver-colored sword stuck in the ground, vines and roots wrapped around it as a light shone over the blade. </p><p>"Cool", Keith said as he went over to the sword, admiring the amazing find, reaching out to touch the sword, but as he placed his fingers on the tip of the handle, he gasped as a bright light covered him all over. </p><p>"<strong>Balance must be restored by the light!</strong>"</p><p>So many things, coming out of the flash of light, a strange white and purple stone, the sky shining with little stars, an old building, a sword, a group of young people in while and black. </p><p>"Hey, dumbass." A voice shouted. </p><p>Shiro's eyes fluttered open, a soft pain in his head as he noticed Keith hovering over him. </p><p>Shiro looked around and saw that he weren't in the same place we were before as Shiro. </p><p>"Keith? What happened?" Shiro asked. </p><p>"I don't know...why!" Keith answered. </p><p>Shiro looked around frantically, "Wait, where is it? Where'd it go?" </p><p>"What?" Keith asked confused. </p><p>"There was a sword, lt was right here, I tried to touch it, but it got really bright, you saw it, right Keith?" </p><p>"Huh...I..." Keith said as he was interrupting by Romelle came running out of the bushes, shouting about something big coming. </p><p>When Keith asked how big it was, the ground rumbled and a large monster with the appearance of a bulldog, prominent ears, no tail, and whiskers like a seal or otter but have the characteristics of a bunny. </p><p>"So, pretty big then", He said while Shiro and Romelle sat on the ground. </p><p>It screeched, heading right for them.</p><p>"Watch out!" Romelle yelled, about to get smashed by the monster, moving onto a nearby branch before jumping onto the monster and whack it with her staff into its eyes. </p><p>She pushed off the monster and landed next to Keith and Shiro, but the monster didn't stop, it charged at them, its razor sharp teeth bared and cracked the earth, Shiro backed away but he got his foot caught in a crack in the ground. </p><p>"Shiro!" Romelle yelled as she tried to help him to get his foot free, but she couldn't, the monster was coming closer when Keith throwing his dagger at it, upon impact, the dagger obliterated parts of the skin, near the mouth. </p><p>Shiro turned to Romelle and Keith, who looked up cautiously at the monster, Shiro looked around frantically and saw the same glow. </p><p>"Hey, get out of here!" Keith said. </p><p>"What!" Shiro said. </p><p>"You only get in the way!" Keith said. </p><p>Shiro nodded and run away, with the monster being too occupied at the moment with Romelle and Keith.</p><p>Shiro ran and ran as fast as he could away from Romelle and Keith, away from the monster but he stop, hearing something nearby and seeing a bright light nearby, Shiro knew it had to be the sword that he found. </p><p>Shiro walked towards the light, pushing the leaves and bushes away until I saw it again, the sword caught in the vines and roots, it was glowing just as brightly as before. </p><p>Shiro kept walking until he was close enough to touch it, but he stopped when he heard two voices coming from the trees. </p><p>Just then, Romelle and Keith emerged from the forest and knocked into the clearing with the monster. </p><p>Keith looked at Shiro, "Hey what are you doing here!" He said as he got up, then at the sword before running towards it. </p><p>Shiro removed the sword from its spot, "Hey, bug brain!" Shiro shouted at the monster, holding up the sword and falling miserable to steady it. </p><p>"Come on, magic sword, oh, where's a blinded flash of light when you need one?" Shiro begged before screamed at the sight of the monster heading towards him. </p><p>Shiro fumbled with the sword one last time before he held it up and stopped the monster's teeth before it hit us. </p><p>Then there was a blinding flash of light. Images passed quickly through his mind. </p><p>Altea floating in space. </p><p>A comet crashed into a forest. </p><p>A sparkling building shining underneath the moon.</p><p>A portal and the sound of a crying baby. </p><p>All seen whole hearing that weird man say total concentration breathing. </p><p>Finally, Shiro saw a man holding something very shiny in the air. </p><p>"Total concentration breathing?" The voice asked, echoing in his ear. </p><p>"Constellation breathing?" Shiro cried, holding the sword up high, "First Form: Aquarius."  </p><p>Shiro slices his enemy, the monster dropped to its knees, into the ground, head and all.</p><p>Moments later, the light faded and Shiro landed back to the ground. Keith, Romelle, and Stats were staring at him.</p><p>"Keith?" Romelle exasperated </p><p>Keith said, open-mouthed "Yeah, I see him, Romelle". </p><p>"Okay. I wanted to make sure it wasn't just me". She said </p><p>"Stats" Stats said. </p><p>Shiro stood there for a moment before he looked down at the monster as its head along with it's body started to disintegrate, Shiro's eyes widened as he screamed and fell to the ground. </p><p>As he soon he fell, the sword still in Shiro's hand as he panted. </p><p>Keith shook off his shock and rushed to Shiro and grabbed the sword, only he didn't let go and pulled the sword back towards him. </p><p>"How do I do that!" Shiro demanded. </p><p>"How did you learn the breathing techniques?" Keith questioned as the two of us rising to their feet and struggling to take the sword from each other. </p><p>"A breathing technique, what is that!" Shiro questioned. </p><p>"Well, I don't know I only heard it from the samurai, before he died!" Keith answered. "I never expect to see this sword again!"</p><p>Silence fell beyond the marsh, the sun shine on a new day, "you know, I have given up on myself after I lost Takashi, I lost all reason to fight back, and yet you're here now, just different". </p><p>Shiro walked towards him, "Hey, I'm sorry I'm not Takashi from your world, but I want to help you!" </p><p>"Well, I do want to stick out my neck for you and her!" Keith said as he turned to Romelle, before with all his strength, pulled the sword away from Shiro. </p><p>Just then, the sound of splashing water, Romelle, Keith, Shiro, and Stats froze as stamping was coming closer to them. </p><p>And soon, an unknown group, riding a horse like creatures, approached them.</p><p>"Oh, boy" Romelle replied, looking forward to the unknown fate that waits for them as the voice had stopped ringing in Shiro's head. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter Ten: Heartstone rebels</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After surviving the monster, Shiro and his friends find themselves dealing with a mysterious group that live in the swamp in secret, led by a mysterious leader, who receives a destiny for Shiro.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of gallops on the water has stopped unexpectedly, in front of Shiro, Keith, and Romelle. Men and women in all kinds of creatures, both human and daemon.</p><p>"Uh, guys, more daemons or whatever they are", Romelle said.</p><p>"I am going to try to think about these friendly or unfriendly people?" Shiro wondered, stood fixated on the folk, he'd never seen anything like this, the people were dressed up like rebels from the old Star Wars movies before... But then again, this is not his world. </p><p>"There's an entire army of them, riding space horses and packing weapons that will possibly try kill us, what do you expect". Keith explains to Shiro and Romelle.</p><p>"So they are unfriendly!" Romelle realizes. Cautiously, she turned around, and her mouth hung open at the unbelievable thing she saw.</p><p>One of the men shouted "Charge!" </p><p>The men aiming their steed towards them, "We got to get out of here" Shiro shouted. </p><p>They ran through the marsh, chased by the group who oddly all wearing orange, black and blue. they crashing through the underbrush and finally stumbled down into the water, deposited them into a safe spot among the long grass, at least for now, they had avoided the group of attackers. </p><p>Shiro brushed leaves off his outfit looked around. The group didn't focus their attention on them, luckily. </p><p>"Keep search for the perimeter, it's got to be around here somewhere", a man who had humanoid figures. He has a scruffy white beard and tapered elfish ears. He has pink markings located unearth his eyes, and a long scar on his left cheek. Dressed in a grey trenchcoat over a squared-off green shirt and bootleg pants. another physical appearance was two broad utility belts - one across his chest, and one on his waist. He accessorizes with a grey newsboy cap and fingerless gloves. </p><p>"Destroyer, where are you hiding?", a small cat-like creature shouted. </p><p>Suddenly, the dog-like creature mourns off her steed and said, "We're wasting our time. Whatever it is, it's long gone by now". </p><p>The man said, "We don't know that for sure, captain Olia". </p><p>"I know what I see, Lieutenant Ozar," Olia said. She pointed out, "You think our weapons handle this thing, the one that attacks that swamp village!" </p><p>"Sir, we found something. Two rebel men discovered something in the water!" Said one of the rebels.</p><p>Ozar and Olia curious about the object, Ozar stared at until it hit him... It was a collar, an unknown part of the monster that Shiro fought back unintentionally, with his new bound sword. They nodded to each other in agreement. </p><p>"This is definitely from the Bunyip!" Ozar said. </p><p>"If that's here, that means something must have happened to the Bunyip" Olia cried.</p><p>"The Galra must have gotten rid of it! From the moment we knew about it!" Ozar told her. </p><p>Shiro pressed his head over the edge of the long grass, with a great scent of curiosity, he spotted the forms of people surrounding the place where he wipeout the Bunyip, he couldn't make out any details but realizes there's any way to get back to Arus, it's them. </p><p>"Hey guys, I think we should team up with these people and find the way back home," Shiro told Keith and Romelle.</p><p>"Oh, Shiro. We shouldn't mix with these people unless they hang out cupcakes and rainbows". Keith asks, slapping his hand on his face, with exhaustion and anxiety slipping through the tight mask that he created. </p><p>"He's got a point, how do we know we can trust these people!" Romelle said.</p><p>"You're right we don't, but they know their way through the swamp," Shiro said as he took a powerful leap, from the underbrush, decided to call out them for help. </p><p>"Shiro", Keith admonishes. </p><p>"What is Shiro thinking, going towards them, he does he know this place is dangerous!" Romelle said, annoyance.</p><p>"And, yet he heading towards the danger!" Keith added.</p><p>Shiro arrived at the field and made his way toward the people within the Marsh, as he drew close to them, it became clear that they were not at all too friendly, to begin with, let alone trying to be. </p><p>A lot of them had guns, in the form of snipers and pistols, swords, axis and Spears. Not only been that their appearance, was not fully human, some of the members look like Gungan, Togruta, and Wookiees, while one of them had a mandrill's face in their appearance, but the humans have the same appearance that Shiro notice during his time on Earth. There were brown-haired, blonde-haired, both in women and men, many reminded Shiro somewhat of the Garrison or his regular life, their features and status were like the regular Caucasian, their oddness seemed they have been to have mud covering their faces, looking like they washing for an entire year or two, take that away, they'd be completely normal. </p><p>One of the men, seeing Shiro and asks. "Who are you, what is your business! Are you a Spy, boy?!"</p><p>"What, no, I'm not!" Shiro asks him.</p><p>Ozar scrambled up the bank to the causeway "where did you come from", he asked him.</p><p>Shiro registered the question with a deep sense of relief, they spoke in the same language, he almost felt like laughing, he wasn't as bad off as he thought. </p><p>"I was over there with my friends!" Shiro said. </p><p>"With your friends, huh," Ozar said. </p><p>"Yes" Shiro started to say and changed his mind on where he truly came from, but right now he, Keith, and Romelle need to start getting back to Arus, but he was doubted now that they know the way but they would find anything about him believable. As he stood there trying to think about what to say, the blue man pressed again.</p><p>"You're not from here, are you" </p><p>"To be close to the truth, No!" Shiro nodded.</p><p>"Is it gonna be me or are we gonna die!" Keith said.</p><p>"So dead!" Romelle told him, Being sarcastic.</p><p>The man's eyes widened as his gaze falls on the sword that Shiro held. "Where did you get this?"</p><p>"I found it over there," Shiro asks him, offers Ozar the sword.</p><p>"Ok," Ozar said as he takes the sword from his hand, with a doubtful look.</p><p>"So will you help us or not!" Shiro said. </p><p>Knowing the answer, the unbelievable things just kept coming. Ozar ordered the men to produced some straw rope and tied Shiro, Keith, Romelle and their newfound friend Stats up in an instant and then grabbed the unwanted visitors and tossed them on the space horses.</p><p>"Hey! What are you doing?! This isn't something to tie us up over!" Shiro said. </p><p>But no matter how Shiro and his friends shouted or resisted, they paid to them no mind and forcibly walked them off. </p><p>When they exited the rest of the swamp, roots spread before them, and soon after they arrived at a great giant tree with roots that spread for miles. </p><p>"We must tell Sokka immediately! Open the doorway, horngazel!" Olia ordered. Before throwing the object at her friend. </p><p>"Rodger, ribbit," a frog-like creature said as he caught the Horngazel to traced a fresh glowing semicircle on the wall at the Trunk and punched it, activating a portal. </p><p>"What's going on," Romelle said, tied up but in astonishment. </p><p>"I don't know," Shiro said, already feeling like he made the worst choice in his life or more truthfully after he'd considered all his opinions that didn't involve surviving the swamp, possibly getting killed by something that wanted to kill you, but what can you do, the choice made him. </p><p>"Well I think is a place that's gonna get us killed!" Keith added the salt to the wound, and truly believed that not at these people could help them back to Arus, even if it's going to be harder.</p><p>But unknown to him, Shiro was very good at challenges with patience and focus.</p><p>The group through the doorway, Shiro, Keith, Romelle, and Stats. As they walk, the stairs light up, it looks like a blue crystal staircase. They's eyes picked up faint but warn, colors filtering just beyond the very large boulder in front of him. Shiro took a step and then another, moving past the giant Crystal and stepping into a ledge.</p><p>They arrived at a giant cavern just as soon that they got down, they face up to look at the center. </p><p>"No way..." Shiro thought, his eyes widened in awe. </p><p>Romelle and Keith stepped behind him and their jaw dropped too.</p><p>A massive city spread out before them, glittering like a constellation of underground stars. It's Crystalline towers and jewel-studded caves teemed with thousands and thousands of streams that go on for miles and miles. For a place this deep below the earth, this hidden from the sun, it seemed so incredibly alive to Shiro. </p><p>The world under the tree was another thing he'd only ever seen in a cartoon tv series. This is like something out of that show from Netflix... 'Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia'. It was a story set in a hidden world of trolls and a teenage boy that's about to save it. </p><p>From everything - from the simple caves of houses, bridges, and trading posts arranged around the rock. There are all kinds of minerals from the swamp and crystals everywhere that provide illumination. In the center was a giant Green crystal and people in shapes and sizes, some humans, some Daemons who tending caves, repairing them, watching the children, and washing clothing - seemed to be at home in this subterranean metropolis.</p><p>Shiro only looked away from everyone who was staring resentment at them. In his twenty-four years of life, this was the first time he'd received that attention from people. </p><p>And soon, the villagers had gathered around to check out all the hubbub.</p><p>"What are humans doing here?" </p><p>"They were in the swamp, I say?" </p><p>"They're wearing strange clothing" </p><p>"What if they're spies" </p><p>"Uh, excuse me!" </p><p>All the villagers turned to look at Shiro and his friends, who were sitting on a straw mat with their wrists and ankles tied up. </p><p>"Was the tying up essential?!" asked Shiro. "We're not going to hurt you, you know!" </p><p>"Could they be spies?" asked a middle-aged man. </p><p>"Sit here quietly until Sokka arrives!" The man shouted. </p><p>"Hey! Would you listen to us for a second?!" Shiro said but they ignored his protests and quickly left them.</p><p>"Graduations Shiro, you just got us killed...?" Keith pouted and attempted to undo the ropes that bound his hands and feet, but it was no use. </p><p>Shiro couldn't help but gulp nervously. Everything he's witness was base on fantasy. But seriously... what is this place? Had he gotten mixed up in some on-location on Altea? Did they mistake him and his friends for one of the Galra? No, that can't be it. The Galra that should have been around for a Base or looking around to shoot on site were absent, nor was there any of them. But in that case, what WAS this?</p><p>Looking at the Crystal, he realized that option was true, teleportation...? That term suddenly crossed his mind. That thing that came up a lot in comics and movies. Where a person jumps through time and space suddenly finds themselves in another world.</p><p>So, they'd teleport to this swamp...?</p><p>"<em>No way! That sort of thing doesn't happen in real life, but it is</em>" Shiro thought, however, aside from that, there weren't any terms he could think of to explain the current situation here...</p><p>"Look!" exclaimed a young man. "Here comes lord Sokka!"</p><p>"Lord Sokka!..." Shiro whispered as a tall body was clothed in long blue robes that conceal much of his body, usually exposing only his hands.</p><p>The rest of his face, around his mouth, was covered by a White plague doctor mask, and in his hand, she carried a staff. He must have lost an eye, as a black eyepatch covered his grey face, while the remaining yellow eye with no visible pupil, shone with a sharp light.</p><p>"Who are you? Why were you in the swamp?" he inquired in a low and carrying voice as he approached them.</p><p>"We don't know, We just arrived here!" Shiro repeatedly. </p><p>"We doubt it, They were the only people near the Bunyip!" Ozar whispered.</p><p>"Hmm..." Sokka hummed before his good eye suddenly went wide. "Wait a moment..." he then gently cupped Shiro's chin. "Let me see your face for a moment, boy."</p><p>"Uhh..." Shiro muttered, nervously as Sokka turned his head to the left, then to the right, and then said something ridiculous. "You do not look like Galra?" </p><p>"Of course not, we're nothing like them!" Romelle was indignant. If he was asking her to look intelligent, it meant that she thought her current face didn't look intelligent. </p><p>"We're not working for them, we are just trying to find our way home" Shiro explains.</p><p>"Are you sure about that..." the man's voice was shaking slightly, and show up the sword that Shiro discovered.</p><p>"You say found the samurai sword, my men are wondering that you found it or stole it" Sokka mused. "Perhaps it is my old age, playing tricks on me...but perhaps, You look like someone that came from the past."</p><p>"Huh...?, I didn't steal it, I just found it on the field," Shiro told him.</p><p>Since Shiro didn't understand, Sokka explained it to him in a plain tone. "This sword belonging to a samurai who protected the planet. They bore strong magical power which I could never compare... this is the last of the remnant of their legacy. Now I'll ask you again, who are you!" </p><p>"My name is Shiro. That Keith, Romelle, and the blue one is Stats? And as I already told we trying finding our way home" Shiro answers back. </p><p>"I see, Be at ease, villagers," said Sokka. "This man and his friends are no threat. I sense no malice or dark aura from her. They are but mortals, just like the rest of us."</p><p>"Are you certain of that, Lord Sokka?" asked Olia. </p><p>"Absolutely," Sokka replied. "Untie them."</p><p>Though hesitant, the rebels did as they were told and untied Shiro, Keith, Romelle, and Stats who sighed in relief as Shiro rubbed his wrists and ankles, then turned to before bowing his head in gratitude. </p><p>"Now, with that of the way, come to my sanctuary," Sokka said.</p><p>Shiro and the others were brought to a workshop, away from his friends, located at the foot of the Crystal, Well, it's not like it was that place, in particular, that was small since all the houses in the village pretty much looked like that.</p><p>Since the only thing providing warmth was a fire pit, the inside of the workshop was still cold. The chill night air easily entered through the gaps in the wall. The man began to stir the contents of a pot over the fire. It seemed to be some kind of porridge. </p><p>Looking at it, come to think of it, Shiro hadn't eaten anything since breakfast at Arus. But today, back on Earth, Shiro was going to eat a breakfast burrito or cereal, and sometimes for lunch, Shiro would go for a hamburger or eat some commissary from the Garrison.</p><p>And yet, for reasons he couldn't understand, here he was, cold and hungry. Just thinking about it made him truly miss home. </p><p>When he snapped back to the present, the man was holding out a bowl of porridge. "Why do you not eat?, It's not poisonous". </p><p>"Oh, I'm sorry, I was thinking about something!" He said as he took the bowl. He didn't know if it was made of millet or what, but it was warm and tasted good. His chilled body warmed from the inside, and his spirits rebounded.</p><p>"Now with that out of the way", Sokka recalled. "Why are you here!"</p><p>"We already told you, we are searching our way home!" Romelle gaped at him, still out of sorts.</p><p>Sokka was still not convinced in any way, "just got to be more to it than that, I know why you're here and I think you know it too". </p><p>Shiro checked himself from impulsively reaffirming his account, which was how he'd been through a lot, dealing with Mistress Centipeetle and Sendak has left him to answer such a question. "I don't know what I'm needed for but a man named Ulaz tells me about you." </p><p>"Ulaz", the man said "I haven't heard that name for a very long time" </p><p>"So you knew something about him!" Shiro eyed him skeptically.</p><p>"Well, yes But that was a long time ago!" Sokka said, exhaled, and told truth. "Well, it's great to meet you".</p><p>Shiro nodded. "Thank you, Lord Sokka."</p><p>"Just 'Sokka' is fine," Sokka smiled. "Balto is not a place to be traveled lightly" </p><p>"Balto" Shiro ask, he and the others got the location that they were in now.</p><p>"Now tell me, young Shiro, what brings you and your friends out this far?" Sokka questioned </p><p>Shiro nodded back, continue eating his food, "I don't know to be honest the only thing how we got here, is this", he reaches out to his pocket and got out the quintessence Crystal.</p><p>Sokka stares in disbelief by the site, "So it is true, the crystal has indeed come back, I knew something troubling had happened when I when I felt the energy."</p><p>Sokka took a small breath as he stirred the fire with the tongs. </p><p>"What do you mean by 'troubling'?!" Shiro answered, pummeled the floor with visible irritation. </p><p>Beside him, Sokka was feeling quite uncomfortable. he knew that it was just the beginning, an inkling of just what happened. After he'd picked up the tongs, he rose and walked over to a bulky, old-fashioned chest and started rummaging through it, All sorts of intriguing items were removed and shoved around, only to be placed back in the bin. A few of them Shiro started to recognize. </p><p>As Sokka was intent on something important, he forbore inquiring about any of the other tantalizing flotsam. </p><p>"I knew this sword meant for you", Sokka was saying, "a few nights ago, this sword started to glow, I never realized it at the time".</p><p>Shiro and the others nodded, they finished the last morsel of food, after that, Keith noticed that he was watching him with interest.</p><p>"Here it is," Sokka said, excited. </p><p>"The sword of the samurai or rather Takashi's sword", Keith said.</p><p>"So you recognize it, not as clumsy or random as a gun, but it will do none less". Sokka said.</p><p>Shiro removes the sword from its sheath, examined the handle, then tentatively touched, seeing his reflection.</p><p>"An elegant weapon for a more civilized age, they are called Nichirin Blades", Sokka explains. </p><p>Shiro looked at the sword at all as it changes color, from a light silver color to a platinum gray color, almost like the sword from his dreams.</p><p>"For over a thousand generations, the samurai were the guardians of peace and justice in the planet Altea before the dark times, the Galra empire". Sokka added. </p><p>After hearing only a portion of Sokka's story, Shiro began to wonder just what was so 'troubling'. </p><p>"When did it all go bad". Shiro said.</p><p>"It all started when lord Alfor, the last ruler of the planet Altea and the father of Priestess Allura, confront Emperor Zarkon!" Sokka confirmed. </p><p>"Zarkon?!" Shiro's eyes widened, but he had a feeling it was more out of being proven right than out of surprise. </p><p>"Zarkon..." Sokka continued in a monotone, "Zarkon was seeking power from the start, so he set his sights on the quintessence Crystal, he sent many of his armies to retrieve it from his daughter" </p><p>"<em>Until she died... and the Crystal was born in me</em>", Shiro thought as he remembered Coran and Allura's words echoed heavily in his heart. He hadn't even thought of what might happen as a result of the quintessence Crystal coming back into this world. Sendak had attacked them so fiercely while having only a single shard embedded in it. Even though it had already lost costume in his life.</p><p>And now the crystal is back with that kind of power. Even if were to fall into the hands of an evil Daemon or a wicked-hearted human... The world would be struck with an indescribable disaster.</p><p>"Is this... my fault? Could have I done such an unthinkable thing!" Shiro nibbled on her lip. "But back then, it was the only thing I could have done. If I hadn't, Sendak would have".</p><p>Sokka examined the crystal in Shiro's palm for a while before closing his fist. </p><p>"I know that you are thinking about it! it was the only thing I could have done, the magic of the world is complicated and unexpected" he said, slowly lifted his head and looked at Shiro with a comforting eye.</p><p>After all, Shiro had been through- from his arrival four or whatever number of days ago to his traumatic surgery to get a new arm, the comment got him interested.</p><p>"Magic". Shiro whispered. </p><p>"Well, magic is what gives a samurai, his power. It is an energy that belongs to the daemons, created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds us all together". </p><p>"Eh...?" His words were so unexpected that Shiro forgot to be confused. "...I see," he said.</p><p>"In any case," Sokka began, "you should get some rest for the night if you and your friends can." </p><p>"What, we can't stay here" Romelle was stunned. "We're got to go home. It's late for me as it is".</p><p>But Sokka might have said, "But no one can survive the swamp overnight, You must stay with us within the heartstone tree".</p><p>"Look, we can't get involved! I've got more important things! It's not that I like the Galra empire, I hate it, but there's nothing I can do about it right now." Keith said.</p><p>It seemed earnest in his desire to look for the Crystal. Well, that made sense. His original desire was to take it for himself, after all, to Romelle at least. </p><p>"Look who's talking now, at least I don't go around abandoning people!" She said.</p><p>SMASH! Keith angrily threw a fist into the table, causing it to shatter a bit while Romelle yelped and hid behind Shiro.</p><p>"I already told you I don't care about the Galra empire!" Keith barked. </p><p>"Keith!" Shiro shouted! "Patience", causing Keith to faceplant into the floor.</p><p>"Sorry for that, we are grateful to stay for the night", Shiro said, had just been thinking about getting home as quickly as possible. </p><p>Today he’d gone to that well to see whether or not there was a way home, If he hadn’t been abducted by those soldiers, he would have jumped in the well. Yes, he could have been relaxing at home right about now and he would have been thinking, wow, what a crazy thing happened to anybody. </p><p>"Learn about the ways of the samurai, Shiro", Sokka pleading him. </p><p>"What..." Shiro said. "Learn the ways of the samurai, protect the crystal. That’s a pretty tall order".</p><p>Are you kidding me?!" Keith questioned. "Him?! trained as a samurai?! I'd rather eat manure! And besides, last I checked, I'm one of those 'evil spirits' you're referring to, aren't I?!"</p><p>"For now, neither of you have a choice," said Sokka. "I'm afraid this is the only way."</p><p>"...But...I-I'm just trying to get home!" Shiro said. "I never intended for any of this to happen! I mean I have a life at home! I mean I've been gone for almost four days, now!"</p><p>Meaning It would probably involve traveling all over the place, he had no idea how long that would take. Not to mention more terrifying daemons were bound to appear and put him in more awful situations, he’d be stuck in this world forever… unable to return home, to his world…</p><p>"Oh, cry me a river," Keith said before he turned away.</p><p>"You could show just a little sympathy, you jerk!" Romelle barked...before she sighed and dropped to her knees, then looked over too, Sokka who looked at her in concern.</p><p>"Sokka, I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain. You've been so nice to me and I'm so grateful to us! It's just that". Shiro said </p><p>"Of course, You must do what you feel is right!". Sokka said resigned, "follow me".</p><p>Puzzled, tired, and exhausted, Shiro and the others did as they were told to do. The man who guards the door allowed them to leave and close the door even if he'd wanted to get rid of them, he respected Sokka's decision. </p><p>With that, Shiro, Keith, Romelle, and Stats follow Sokka, walked between caves bustling with thousand of daemons, humans of all shapes and sizes. Radiant lights from gemstones reflected their neon colors across everybody around, Shiro smiled, feeling amazed at the massive Heartstone that towered under the tree, filling its subterranean residents— him included—with precious life energy.</p><p>Sokka bowed his head so that his head wouldn’t scratch against the entrance, as they had countless times before, carving twin grooves into the stone archway. Inside were rooms for guests with stairs to the top.</p><p>"This is where you'll be staying, women on the right and men on the left". Sokka told them. </p><p>"Why, if it isn’t Sokka, our great leader", said a man, clapping all of his hands together in delight. "To what do we owe this most prestigious of honors, sir?" another man said, walking next to.</p><p>"That’s quite all right, Lian," said Sokka. "For I come in search of warm conversation and deliver." </p><p>"I must say, that seems quite unlike you, sir," said Lian. "Er, no offense, right Liem."</p><p>"It’s true," Liem mumbled, lowering his head meekly. "We never truly, this kind of visit unless dealing with refugees of the war. </p><p>Sokka sat down beside the pair at the large reading table covered with numerous open volumes and sighed. "For that, I apologize, my friends. I have been distracted of late. The burdens of war weigh heavily on my mind. But now I'm here introduce you to some friends". </p><p>The two men, Lian and Liem traded a look of amazement as Sokka introduced Shiro and his friends. "Oh Hello, who are you?" The two asked with a grin. </p><p>"I'm glad you asked!" said Sokka, his face brightened. "This is Shiro, his friends, Keith, Romelle, and!"</p><p>"Stats!"</p><p>"Stats, his name is stats," Shiro told him. </p><p>"Well, we are grateful to show up more people, especially refugees were trying to get away from the empire!"</p><p>Sokka’s grin spread or showing it, to Lian and Liem as the comment was corrected. "Yes, and they are here to stay for the night"</p><p>Lian continued. "Of course sir". </p><p>"Very good" Sokka closed his eyes, exhaled, and turn to Shiro. "Lian and Liem are going to take very good care of you, I must go!".</p><p>Shiro began. "Thank you, Sokka for everything!" </p><p>"Of course, it's the least I can do, especially for Ulaz, I own to him!" Sokka told him.</p><p>Keith interrupted. "Yeah sure, you keep telling yourself that." </p><p>"Keith", Romelle asked, sarcastically. "Oh I'm sorry, there are still struggling in you",</p><p>"Not everything for the faint of heart, those were still struggling to find themselves" Sokka explain to Keith and Romelle. </p><p>Keith thought for a moment before he forced a weak smile at his face and said, "yeah whatever, I should probably get some rest". </p><p>"Very well then, I'll leave you to it", Sokka then clapped Lian and Liem on their shoulders and left, before they could ask anything else. </p><p>"Ok, let me show you to your room", Lian said. They walked up the stairs with Liem taking Romelle and Stats away to their room on the right while Shiro and Keith go to the left side, together with Lian. </p><p>Upon arriving there, Shiro and Keith's room we have consisted of a wooden chair in the middle of the room as its color was sandstone, small nightstands, and larger platforms, each of them having a red cloth attached to them, looking at it, it was a bedroom. </p><p>The lone beds were nice, utmost purely functional, and it’s the most comfortable thing his back has been on in ages, minus his time in Arus. With a clap of his hands, Lian Introduced the women, the white-haired woman at the head of the three wore the kind outfit that Shiro had seen in an old historical drama in London of 18 and the 90s.</p><p>The old woman said to the two who had many her and Lian "you can leave now, I'll handle it from here", they deposited the articles they were carrying on the bed, bowing deeply exited the room, after they had gone, the old woman placed lamps on the stands, they resembled a Jasper of sorts, next to it she put a small bowl and pitcher, filling the bowl with water.</p><p>"Well, you'd better washed up", the old woman said before leaving Shiro and Keith to deal with their own devices. </p><p>Shiro examined it, slowly he washed his face, hands, and wrist, his filthy, blackened hands soon regained their normal color. </p><p>At this point, Shiro had started to tolerate his newfound purple limb, ever since losing his arm to Mistress Centipeetle, he's been living with the moment, over and over he's been living with the fact that he might be grounded forever, he's already got a life-threatening disease on his back, he doesn't need this but overtime his body was able to do things, things that he was never expecting, like killing a monster with a sword, now his body was hard and stiff. </p><p>As best he could, he continued scrubbing his hands, the water soaked into the fine lacerations, after that his eyes droop the moment he lies flat, but he fights between his body’s desire to fall straight to sleep, and his mind wanting to savor the moment where he feels safe.</p><p>But later that night, Shiro found himself lying awake on his bed while Keith remained asleep nearby.</p><p>"Keith, are you still up?" asked Shiro.</p><p>"No I can go a few nights without sleeping, unlike you people, but Yeah?" said Keith. "Why do you ask!" </p><p>"Oh, nothing I just wanted to talk to someone!" Shiro told him.</p><p>"To talk to you about what!" Keith said.</p><p>"I don't know when I'm trying to be nice to people!" Shiro said.</p><p>A pause came from Keith. "There's nothing to say, you know everything about me now." He explains, annoyed as he down the bed, back turned. </p><p>"No I don't, it takes a lot of time to know a person," Shiro told him. </p><p>"Well, one thing to knows about me, and that is to get the crystal from you," Keith said. </p><p>"What you truly want, is gain more power" Shiro, "If I was you I try to not get power and tired to find the way back home!"</p><p>Suddenly, Keith bolts upright take off from the bed and, heads straight for the door. "...You want to go home, huh?" he murmured before he looked up at the distance. "...I sure wish...I had a home to go back to...but I have left in this world is no one, only me, you don't have to worry about me".</p><p>Silence fills the room suddenly, Keith turn around and see Shiro already fast asleep, Keith frowns "seriously!" but Shiro's words setting like a heavy stone in his gut. "Maybe could you be right."</p><p>He says this, he turns over, back at the bed, then again. The refuge of sleep he nearly succumbed to only moments ago now seems far out of reach, way out of span.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter Eleven: Galra in the swamp</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After finding shelter from the swamp, Keith continues to work on Shiro's last nerve until he can't take any more of his nonsense and leaves, intent on going back home. Even if he called a truce with Romelle, however they are attacked by a Galra Commander named Twyla.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Despite his fitful battle to fall asleep, the next time Shiro wakes, he practically springs out of bed. He feels good. Great, even.</p><p>"Good morning," he tells Keith who was still asleep, Shiro should try to wake him up, should he try to get home as soon as possible, or stay in this world while longer and try to fight, to learn...? </p><p>As Shiro struggled with which path he should choose, he greeted yet another new morning in the place that gave him and new friends shelter for the night. Even if he decided he'd rather go straight home to his own time, it wasn't like he could just go ahead and do that. There was no guarantee that even if she jumped into that dry well that he would cross through time the same way as he had when he'd come. </p><p>Shiro still had one other problem on top of deciding what he should do from here. </p><p>Something more pressing and urgent. And that was... a shower and a good meal. He really wanted to take one. So combing his black and white hair in a hurry, went downstairs into the lobby, where Lian, Liem, Romelle, and Stats were waiting there. </p><p>"Good morning, Shiro," Romelle said, dressed in a pink Pyjama, with Stats bow his head with respect. </p><p>"Good morning, Romelle," Shiro said back to her, "and good morning to you, Stats", everything started in a very good mood for the day. </p><p>"So who's hungry" Liem talking to them.</p><p>"Sure, Liem," Shiro tells him. </p><p>"Very good, to the kitchen," Lian said. </p><p>On command, Shiro, Romelle, and Stats went into the kitchen when Lian started cooking three meals at once: buttered toast for (a simple but oh-so-satisfying breakfast), bacon, and a caramelized onion and goat cheese omelets. Lian worked his cook knife with practiced precision across the cutting board, putting a fine dice on the red onions and he had enough faded scars on his fingertips to remind him to keep them tucked as he sliced the basil into a chiffonade. </p><p>Multitasking around the kitchen, separating the bacon and portioned them into three separate plates, and folded each omelet effortlessly in the skillet.</p><p>"<em>Not bad for a Tuesday</em>". Shiro thought </p><p>Now came the favorite part: Lian washed his knife in the sink and air-dried it by twirling the blade between his fingers. </p><p>"That looks amazing," Shiro said, amazed at Lian's cooking ability. </p><p>"Thanks, Unless you have a crazy mom who sleeps all day, crazy-long hours and you've gotten totally sick of eating PB and J alone every night, even if you have an allergy to it". Liem says</p><p>Once he had spun every last drop of moisture off its surface, Lian holstered the knife in the knife block, plated the omelets, and place it on everybody's plate. </p><p>"Digging in," Lian asks, Shiro and Romelle timidly began eating the amazing food put upon them, and was simply amazing. </p><p>"How's the food" he said </p><p>Shiro and Romelle began savoring each morsel of breakfast they had.</p><p>"I'll take it as a yes" Lian said, and soon more people begin to follow-up, ready for the morning come.</p><p>People from all kinds of life turn the place as rowdy and rough as any lobby Shiro had had ever frequented. As the many tables were getting sat, some begin to get behind the counter where Lian work. </p><p>"Hey Lian," a human man said, dressed in a chef's outfit, arrived along with a squirrel. </p><p>"Hello, Billy" said Lian </p><p>"So what am I working with" Billy replied </p><p>Lian held out Shiro's plate, and Billy eagerly snatched it, inhaling deeply. "Ah," Billy sighed. "Balsamic mushrooms, meat-chunky-sun-dried tomatoes . . ." The squirrel looks amazing as he rolled his tongue inside his mouth, trying to place that last flavor he was smelling. "And cardamom," said. "Ooh, taking a chance there, Chef" Billy replied. </p><p>Lian smiled. "Of course, Billy, ever since the rebels struggles to take back the sigma quadrant, we've only got enough supplies to give to everyone here" </p><p>"That's true but what's life without a little adventure?" joked Lian as he hopped again onto his cycle of cooking. Billy did the same and the guys around them started their way.</p><p>After his plate was returned, Shiro continues to eat his fill of breakfast, correction the best breakfast ever but Romelle gorged, he watched the slender girl scarf down anything that was given to her as if it might be taken away at a moment's notice. </p><p>Taste and appearance did not factor into what she crammed in her mouth. Getting food into his stomach seemed to be her primary goal, what had she been eating on Arus, or perhaps more accurately, what hadn't he been eating?</p><p>"What," Romelle said between mouthfuls. </p><p>Shiro gestured at Stats, and then look at the empty chair, where Keith was supposed to sit with them.</p><p>"Where's Keith" Romelle asked </p><p>"Still asleep" Shiro added.</p><p>"He's always doing stuff like this!" Romelle said. "Or at least is what Coran told me!"</p><p>"Is that what you think about him?" he asked Romelle. </p><p>Romelle marched forward. "Yeah! Coran told me all about him!" </p><p>"And you believe in what you see?" Shiro asked.</p><p>"Why would I be?" Romelle said. </p><p>Then suddenly, a squirrel leaned closer to the food, about to look like to eat it, "Hey, don't touch that" Shiro shouted as he grabs the squirrel.</p><p>"Ugh" Billy shouted as fell into the ground like he was in pain. </p><p>"Billy," Lian said in horror, the squirrel luckily escape Shiro's grasp. </p><p>"Don't touch me!" The squirrel yelled. The great hall because so quiet Shiro could've heard a worm move. </p><p>"What you say," he said in surprise. </p><p>"She said don't touch her" Liem explains "She is Billy's daemon". </p><p>"What..I didn't know, I'm sorry". Shiro whispered, guess he still doesn't know much about this world. </p><p>"That's okay, you didn't know" Billy rose, "Jana can be a bit mischievous but she is not interested in eating your friend's food." </p><p>Yeah but next time do not do that again!" Jana the squirrel said, "is taboo to do that".</p><p>"Taboo" he whispered </p><p>"Is true, its Taboo to harm a daemon" Romelle explain. </p><p>Of course-maybe that is the reason that Keith having a hard time respecting him because he felt violated like when he touched Jana so abruptly, like a man getting rid of a pest in an old house. </p><p>His glare becomes shocked and shame, combined with limited knowledge of the past of this world. </p><p>Shiro stop eating, "don't be sad," Lian said, "not everybody knows the tale"</p><p>"The tale, what you mean," Shiro asked. </p><p>Lian smiled, then let out a breath of fresh air, "a long time ago, Altea was once a separate land, humans, and Daemons so the distance from one another that they unaware of their existence, but then alone human came to one of the villages where the daemons live, at first there was once astonishment but eventually we begin to know each other and twine".</p><p>That was everything Romelle know, she had heard this story over and over again.</p><p>"And then that happened!" Shiro said </p><p>"One human, a girl manifest some form of creature, an animal but it was no ordinary animal it wasn't animal at all, it was a daemon and can do magic, at first the humans bought that was strange, but soon more humans begin to develop more daemons of their own and learn all kind of magic, fire, water, earth, air, and balance".</p><p>Shiro looked stunned. "I did not know that, but I bought there were only three types of daemons, or at least what Keith told me." </p><p>"Yes are three types of daemons, your friend Romelle is a light daemon, our great leader Sokka is a dark daemon and our little friend here Jana is an anima daemon." </p><p>Lian shook his head and his smile turned to sadness, "but peace did not last between our worlds, one species of daemon- the Galra, led by emperor Zarkon declare war on both sides, Lian's mind seemed so fast at the recollection. "Many species, both human and daemon bought back against them and still they'd do to this very day" </p><p>Shiro's head was so confused right now, everything wasn't suited for him, right now, despite this, Lian's story wasn't finished yet. </p><p>"But according to Sokka, the samurai, the defenders of peace, could stop them but when the world needed the most, they just vanished. Some say they do walk away from it all".</p><p>"Whoa, that story was epic", Shiro said, collapsing on his seat as he pictured everything that had happened. "Wow I did not know any of that" </p><p>"Well, you do now," Romelle said, "we are going to stop them because Shiro is the samurai."</p><p>"What" Shiro hopped off the repair seat, looking dazed. "No I'm not the samurai why does everyone keep thinking that", swamps' daemons again, going home-abruptly the surrounding seemed to close in on him, the formerly intriguing furnishings and alien artifacts now just a mite frightening. </p><p>He looked around wildly, trying to avoid the piercing gaze of everyone around. </p><p>"I'm no hero, what can I do", Shiro found himself muttering thickly. "I need some air!". Shiro got out of his seat and ran, up the lobby, through the hallway, getting away from everybody, never stopping. </p><p>Alter escaping, Shiro finally stopped running, deep somewhere in this sub-terrain City that no one could find him. He didn't know why he had been running for so long; he had just felt the need, now all he felt was exhaustion.</p><p>A shadow went behind him, Shiro blinked to see Sokka again, was he seeing things again? Had he started to follow him all that way? </p><p>"What are you doing here!" The old man chirped a question of his own. </p><p>"Sokka, I uh, didn't mean to intrude. Um, I just needed to get some air". Shiro said </p><p>"Well, About time you got here. Come on now, there's no time to waste. Let's get going" Sokka said </p><p>"Go where" Shiro wondered as he wanted to know where he intended they go together. </p><p>"You'll see" Things seemed to be looking up, but instead he was led to a spring, a hot spring. "This is where everybody often bathes themselves after a mission or someplace relaxing" </p><p>"It... does look relaxing." He said as it almost looked like Japan's bathhouses. On top of that, today had been a cloudless, windy day. The wind chill was quite low. Not to mention this place was just a spring, so there was nothing to obstruct prying eyes.</p><p>Shiro examined the water, the stream was so clear that the steam was undisturbed the freshness, it seems as though their reflection were painted on the bottom of it. </p><p>And when he did, he perceived how his appearance was, his clothes were now tattered and torn, <em>"is it just me, I'm covered in blood, I'm covered in mud, but I'm not going to be able to stand staying this way!</em>" he thought as suddenly wanted a soak in some hot water. When he was at home, he would often take a shower in the Garrison when he has done working out. </p><p>But he didn't need any of that right now if it has hot water. That would be enough. "<em>Whatever, I'm getting in!</em>" Shiro had made up his mind. If he couldn't get any hot showers in this place, everything was fine. he didn't care if it was cold or chilly or if there was a danger of someone seeing him...</p><p>"I see, I understand," Sokka said, assisting him. First, heading back to the plaza to inform everybody he said, "Shiro is going to be purifying himself. It is for the sake of strengthening his spiritual power. If an outsider were to see him, a terrible punishment from the heavens will befall you, you and you" his face taking on a chillingly eerie expression.</p><p>He also brought out a new outfit for a change of clothes. It seemed to have originally been someone's and so that Shiro wouldn't catch a cold once he got out of the pool, he started a fire on the bank.</p><p>"Ok, Shiro, that should do now." Sokka said. </p><p>"Thank you." he used the shade of a rock near the shore in place of a changing room and swiftly removed his uniform and undergarments. With a brisk movement, he jumped completely into the water.</p><p>"Hot hot!" he instinctively wanted to jump out of the water due to the burning flesh, but somehow he managed to bear it and submerged himself in the current. </p><p>"Do not push yourself" called from beside a warm-looking fire on the shore. Shiro would bear it with all his all might. </p><p>"You don't have to worry about me!" Shiro said, ignoring him. </p><p>After a while, his body got used to it, It gave him some time to look around. The pool was full of beautiful, pristine water, the bright sunlight streamed straight to the bottom of the clear water, making shining patterns of light on the river bottom, he could see the rocks on the bottom, along with green water plants swaying as though they were waving.</p><p>But it was hardly possible to imagine this being the same place as the one in his world, as that one had much less water, and it was murky and polluted...</p><p>Shiro bounced along the bottom of the river on his tiptoes. The water was deeper here, so he slowly swam around his body that had been soiled by the touch of Mistress Centipeetle and Sendak felt like it was being purified by the clear water.</p><p>He suddenly remembered he'd been bitten by Mistress Centipeetle and looked at his side, he could still see a faint scar on his new arm, but it had practically already healed. </p><p>"I wonder why, given that I was bitten so badly? Is it really because I'm Allura's reincarnation or Takashi's?" Shiro said to himself. </p><p>Elsewhere, Romelle had no doubt anymore that Shiro was the samurai's reincarnation. Even although his skills are great, he has a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone. But she believes that Shiro can save the world. </p><p>With a quiet sigh, Romelle sat up and headed outside into the morning air. To get her thoughts together, instead. Maybe then, she could finally get some clarity. As she walked outside, though, she couldn't help feeling as if she was being watched. As she looked over her shoulder, she saw a familiar pair of violet eyes, glowering down at her from the roof.</p><p>"Hey," Keith greeted before he practically floated down to the ground. </p><p>"Oh, is you, are you still looking for the next village to burn!" asked Romelle.</p><p>"Is that what Coran told you about me!" Keith said.</p><p>"Well, I thought it was just common knowledge". asked Romelle as she turned away from him with her arms crossed and a pout on her lips. </p><p>"Listen," Keith said. "I don't like you, and I'm pretty sure you don't like me, either, but whether we like it or not, I gotta work with you if I wanna get back home and protect the crystal!" </p><p>"And you're telling me this, because...?" Romelle inquired.</p><p>"I wanna call a truce," Keith said, causing Romelle's eyes to go wide before she turned to face him, completely.</p><p>"Am I hearing this, right?" she asked.</p><p>"Look, my patience has been tested enough, okay?" Keith asked before he held out his hand. "So...do we have a deal?"</p><p>Romelle looked down at Keith's hand, then back at his face, which held this almost unusual expression of seriousness...if not, reluctance. Still, it seemed that he was willing to at least try and take this seriously. Maybe this could work out to their benefit.</p><p>Besides, what did she have to lose?</p><p>"Deal," said Romelle as she shook hands with the half-daemon.</p><p>"Good," said Keith before he turned and walked away.</p><p>"Thanks!" Romelle replied as she was about to leave</p><p>"It's okay!" Keith began, causing Romelle to stop in her tracks, "don't...worry too much about people might think of you. You might see them again, one day." </p><p>Romelle blinked in surprise at the half-demon's words. They almost sounded...reassuring...gentle. Was this the same Keith she was talking to?</p><p>"Just saying," Keith said. "Anyway, I go find Shiro." On that, he leaped back up onto a perch, leaving Romelle standing on the ground in stunned silence.</p><p>Realizing this, Keith went back and looked around all of a sudden. </p><p>"Where's Shiro" Keith asked. "I have no idea where he is!"</p><p>"Oh, he is having a purification ceremony," Romelle told him</p><p>"What, I'm confused," Keith said</p><p>It's true, Sokka told us". Billy chimes in.</p><p>"He said, it to increase powers," Liem said. </p><p>Keith looked at Liem, he wouldn't meet his gaze. He stood, holstered his dagger, and walking away from this group of Chefs. "Thanks for telling me but I better get going".</p><p>Back in the pond, Shiro was still swimming, while thinking to himself. </p><p>"<em>I know Ulaz chose me for a reason. If Sokka knows something about me, about the dreams I've been getting, he needs to tell me!</em>" Shiro thought "<em>I'm supposed to join forces with Keith, but he hates me for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with me... things that happened between him and Allura in the past... and with Takashi</em> " There was no way they'd be able to protect the quintessence Crystal together if he kept up his loner attitude.</p><p>As Shiro came out of the water, gasping for breath, he made his way to the spring's bank to climb out...but as he looked up, he gasped as he saw Keith, sitting on his haunches as he stared at her from a cliff on high. </p><p>"Keith" The moment he said that Keith instantly gets struck by a rock that Shiro picked up in the pool, falling backward from the cliff with a "Gueh!" that sounded like a squashed frog. However, Shiro suddenly felt the same Rock that he throws at Keith. "Ow!" Shiro said, feeling the pain. </p><p>"Enjoy the view, did ye?" asked Sokka with a bit of a snide expression as he continued to tend to the fire. </p><p>"Seriously, I trying to look for you!" Keith struck the ground with his fist in frustration, during that time, Shiro hurriedly exited the river and moved to the makeshift changing room in the shadow of the rock. The blood went to his face as his stomach churned. "Well, it serves you right, sneaking around spying like that!" he complained as he peeked his head out from behind the rock.</p><p>"What the hell are you talking about?!" Keith questioned. "I only came here to make a truce?! I wasn't trying to peep at you! I was trying to-" </p><p>"To take the quintessence crystal, correct?" Sokka asked, holding said-crystal in his fingers.</p><p>"...Well...I mean..." Keith stammered at him like he had no idea what he was talking about. "You thought...I was peeping? Heck no,...I was just searching for you I didn't know that showing up your beautiful body of yours".</p><p>"Wh, what's so beautiful about it?!" said Shiro as he came out...wearing a woven wrap top with a white Satin robe jacket with embroidered details and vented back Woven pants, and brown boots. "Mind telling me why you hate me so much, anyway?"</p><p>He said that as he felt the blood rush leaving from his face, he'd already been flushed when he thought he was peeping, but now that it had turned out he'd come to steal the Crystal, but for some reason, he only felt sadness in his heart. Guessing that he already knew Keith wasn't looking at him or his nakedness. </p><p>Instead, Keith's eyes went wide as he stared up at Shiro...and for a moment, a brief image of another person who wears a similar outfit that he knew suddenly appeared before his eyes before it went back to Shiro.</p><p>"<em>...Takashi...</em>" he thought.</p><p>He remained in that position simply staring at Shiro.</p><p>"I gave you too much credit before. No sooner should have told you that you're still connected to that boy, from the moment you got to hit that rock, he felt the pain too, you two are connected through the d-user mark!" Sokka continues, causing Keith to shake his head.</p><p>"Well, that is none of your business," he grumbled before he glanced over at Shiro, who was hanging his garrison uniform up to dry over the bonfire that Sokka had lit.</p><p>When Shiro attempted to get between them a woman holding a child by the hand came rushing in, out of breath. </p><p>"Pardon me... Lord Sokka? I do not mean to intrude," said the woman. </p><p>"What happened, Ine?"</p><p>The woman called Ine's face was pale. "My daughter back home... Kiyo suddenly collapsed!"</p><p>What? Kiyo?!, I see, let's head back" Sokka rose quickly. It seemed that he wasn't just a rebel leader, but acted as a doctor as well.</p><p>"Shiro, Keith, I shall return to the village, I'll be checking on you two later." he handed over the charm bag containing the quintessence Crystal to Shiro. "Try not to fight!."</p><p>With those parting words, he left with Ine.</p><p>"We'll try," Shiro answered while Keith blew a raspberry at Sokka, who walked away with the mother and her two children. </p><p>"Why I have a bad feeling about this..." Shiro glanced at Keith. As soon as he did, he turned his nose up and looked off to the sky, he had a pretty good guess as to why he would behave so blatantly unnaturally. </p><p>Wearing this garb, Shiro had to look even more like someone from Keith now. Ignoring him now, he went to the pool back to wash his uniform, through all of this, he could feel Keith's gaze on his back. It's like he can't look away from him and Is it because of his appearance. </p><p>"...Hey," Keith spoke up, suddenly.</p><p>"Now what do you want?" said Shiro. </p><p>"You mind taking off your clothes?" Keith asked, bluntly...causing Shiro to bonk him on the head with a large rock, which caused an equally large bump to form right above his head, even if he is Keith's d-user. "OW! What'd you do that for?! I thought you were done throwing rocks".</p><p>"Oh, I was until you acting like a pig" Shiro spat.</p><p>Keith barked as he pointed at Shiro's uniform."I didn't say get naked! I just can't stand seeing you in those clothes he said, pointing at his Garrison uniform or what's left of it.</p><p>"Why? because I look like Takashi from your world?" he cut right to the chase.</p><p>"That's got nothin' to do with it, ok." Keith turned and faced away, making a forceful grunt. He might say it had nothing to do with it, but just looking at him made it obvious that it had everything to do with it.</p><p>"Oh, please I have seen plenty of kids who are more mature than you"</p><p>Even the kids at the city probably wouldn't act this immaturely... Shiro conceded a little and decided to try more casual conversation as they did before in the swamp. "Look, I don't want to do this either, ok, but we got to work together, Remember you said you want to make a truce with me!"</p><p>However, It didn't appear that Keith had the slightest interest in making conversation. "Fine by me. I'll find the way back without you if I have to!" </p><p>Snap, something inside of Shiro snapped audibly. "Oh I get it now, you just don't care if I just go back home or wanting to stay" With that, he gathered up his still-wet uniform and shuffled off. </p><p>"Hey, where you going" Keith inquired. </p><p>"I don't know but I'm an idiot, I thought wanted things to differentiate between you and me, but nothing has changed, I'm leaving! Goodbye, Keith." Shiro asked.</p><p>"Leaving... wait!" Keith repeated, stood up impatiently. "Hey! Wait a minute!"</p><p>"Nope! Don't try and talk me out of it!" Shiro replied. But even more maddeningly, Keith didn't try to stop him.</p><p>Keith began as he held out his hand, "Just leave the Crystal here, then!" </p><p>"What, you mean this?" Shiro asked as he held up the charm bag containing the Crystal from his chest and dangled it in front of Keith's nose as if to show it off. And then...</p><p>"Here, take it," he said with a sharp voice as he throws the crystal to him, Keith's face turned shocked.</p><p>"What did you," Keith said with a confused voice while looking at the Crystal, but Shiro didn't care. </p><p>"Bye-bye!" Shiro called as he walked away, "Sokka, Romelle, they were right about you" Shiro kept walking without turning around. </p><p>They both reeled back from one another at his statement. </p><p>"I mean," Shiro started, collecting himself. "Because I know what it's like. To be scared and alone!" </p><p>"What, I'm not scared, you scared, know what it's like?" Keith lashed back. "People look at you, like this great God or samurai when you don't have nothing to show for it". </p><p>"Maybe, I'm willing to try for it, even if I have no idea how everything works, I'm still trying to get back home, even if I have to other people make up their mind about before you even have a chance? To find out what you're truly capable up." Keith stares at him, struck dumb by the no small amount of acerbity Shiro dishes back to him.</p><p>Keith's throat bobbed as he absorbed his words, his gaze drifting to the direction. "Hey wait" leaving him all alone. </p><p>"This way, Lord Sokka." Ine led him to her house outside the village. Sokka remembered how panicked he'd been. Ine's daughter Kiyo had been healthy since she was a little girl and rarely even caught colds. What could have happened that would cause her to suddenly collapse...? </p><p>"Collapsed without warning" he said </p><p>"Yes, she was fine just this morning..." Ine explained as she opened the door. In the cramped room, Kiyo was lying down with her eyes closed, her face pale.</p><p>"Let me see..." Sokka came close to examine her but took an unexpected breath, he could tell just with her one eye. Kiyo had no ordinary condition.</p><p>"<em>Someone or something has captured her soul...?</em>" He through </p><p>Someone. Yes, there was no doubt it was the work of someone evil...</p><p>"Ine, get down!" As though prompted by Sokka's voice, Kiyo's blank eyes opened, glowing the color purple and not just that, but her body limply hung in the air.</p><p>"What's wrong, Kiyo!" Ine called to her daughter in a distraught voice. But Kiyo gave a response and say "victory or death". Her daughter had always laughed, cried, and made all sorts of faces, but now her face showed no sign of vitality or emotion. Like she was just a doll... Like some puppet being manipulated by a puppeteer, Kiyo hung in the air with both arms spread wide.</p><p>"Uh!" Sokka was appalled. She could see many thin strands attached to Kiyo's arms and legs. "Are these the threads controlling her?!" They weren't something that could be seen just by looking carefully. They would merely vanish and reappear, only faintly visible.</p><p>But there was no doubt. Countless long, thin black strings were manipulating Kiyo's body like puppet strings.</p><p>A knife was lying discarded on the dirt floor. It suddenly floated into the air, he could see that it was being manipulated by strands of strange attached to it, just like Kiyo.</p><p>The knife flew towards Kiyo. The fingers on Kiyo's right hand opened and caught the knife, gripping it firmly.</p><p>"Oh no!" backed off in a panic. However, Kiyo swung down the knife a moment earlier. Without any hesitation, she aimed straight for Sokka...</p><p>When Shiro returned to the plaza, where Romelle was waiting for him, back into her suit. </p><p>"Hey, Shiro," she said.</p><p>"Oh hey, So are you ready to going home?" Shiro said </p><p>"Yeah I am, But we need to know our way to the swamp!" Romelle explains.</p><p>"You're probably right!" Shiro said as his only reservation was having not said a single word to Sokka before leaving this place. Not even didn't thank him for taking care of them, and still borrowing these clothes from him and won't be able to give them back.</p><p>And then of course there was the offering being trained to become a samurai. But, there's nothing Shiro can do about that, right...? So long as Keith being uncaring as he is, not even Romelle doesn't want anything to do with him. So there's no reason for him to stay here any longer... </p><p>As if shaking off his doubts, Shiro rushed to his room, to gather whatever stuff that he had left. </p><p>But...</p><p>Peeking inside, Shiro hesitated. </p><p>From his bed was the samurai sword, the same one that he uses to kill the Bunyip, looking at it now, the sword almost like the same one from his dreams. </p><p>Now that he thought of it, Allura had mentioned before. Sokka had also said the same thing: "the samurai were the peacekeepers of the planet", he had also said, "before the dark times"</p><p>Doubt and fear ran down Shiro's heart. When he looked closer, direct at the sword, it was indeed in fact the sword from his dreams.</p><p>"No, it can't be..." Shiro's memory had wakes brief visions within in his mind, Altea, armies fighting and Keith shouting Takashi. </p><p>The visions subside, and Shiro grips his head. </p><p>"<em>What is this? What's happening to me?</em>" Shiro thought </p><p>Seized by fear, Shiro stood up and dropped the sword from hands, "I don't know what to do, I don't want any part of this!" But when he did, a sharp pain ran along his cheek. "Ah!" When he touched it, he found that it was bleeding.</p><p>He looked around again in astonishment. Many thin threads were spread along that side. When the sunlight reflected on them, they looked like a spiderweb for trapping prey.</p><p>"What's going on, are these threads" It was some sort of special threads strong enough to be a weapon and when it had touched Shiro's cheek, it had cut it. And it wasn't just his cheek. When he looked, the sleeves of his outfit had also been cut in several places at the same time. </p><p>"To be capable of this, it has to be a Daemon or rather a galra...!" Vigilantly, he looked around again, "I have to find Romelle" running off from his room, carrying the samurai sword in tow. </p><p>Meanwhile, Keith flew through the air, pushing his feet off the Stoney building to gain better height. He could hear Shiro's words about in his mind. And on top of that, he has given him the quintessence Crystal.</p><p>But why, wasn't all to teach him a lesson, To find out what you're truly capable up. Or perhaps, a wake-up call or both. </p><p>When he reached the outskirts of the village, Keith suddenly felt an unusual presence rapidly approaching he reflexively took a defensive stance, and what appeared before him was five women and men. </p><p>They were both human and daemon just from looking at them and what he sensed, but they were strangely all floating in the air. They were all wielding dangerous-looking knives and scythes which they all swung down at once, attacking Keith.</p><p>"What the-?" Keith muttered, only to yelp when he dodged the weapons, grabbed two of them by their arms, and stomped on the third one's arm as he landed on the ground. "All right, you three, what's your beef with me...huh?!" </p><p>Keith moved nimbly. As he fended off the attack, he grabbed two of the women's arms. Spinning around, he struck the remaining three men with their bodies. </p><p>The folk all fell to the ground. Giving them a good look, he realized he recognized all of them. "What's this? You're all rebels from the village, ain't ya? On top of that, why does everyone have blank expressions like dolls?"</p><p>"Victory or death," the rebels said in unison, all eyes open and glowing purple.</p><p>When he turned his head, he heard a familiar voice: "Stop! Do not harm them, Keith!" It was a voice he rather disliked. </p><p>"That you, Sokka?" Keith turned around dejectedly but concerningly. Sokka had a deep wound on his shoulder, his blue robe was stained bright red with blood. Possibly due to the blood loss rendering him not strong enough to even stand and walk, he came crawling to him along the ground. However...</p><p>"What're you doin' covered in blood?" asked Keith</p><p>"Is that all you have to say?" Sokka deadpanned, The fact that he was able to respond immediately in such a disgruntled fashion indicated that his injury was not life-threatening.</p><p>But then, the women and men got back up again, still holding their weapons. </p><p>"Hey, so just what happened here?" Keith asked as the man who had fallen on the ground rose lazily into the air once again and glared straight at him. "Are they after me?!"</p><p>"'It is not their fault!" Sokka answered. "They're being possessed by someone...or something! Where is Shiro?! Bring him here, immediately!" </p><p>Keith grimaced at the name he'd rather not hear. "What the hell would call that beautiful man here to do? By the time I did that, we'd all get killed!" </p><p>"No, Keith! You mustn't!" Sokka cried. "Without Shiro or Romelle, we're powerless!"</p><p>Keith scoffed as he got out his dagger. "No need. I'll take care of 'em, myself." But in reality, it was irrelevant whether he liked him or not, since he simply was not at leisure to look for Shiro right now. The women and men floating in the air had begun to move again. </p><p>Back at the plaza, Shiro sprinted towards the lobby, only get a glimpsed of a squadron of robotic men guarded the people. An insignia that Shiro recognize, the same one that he saw when he and Romelle were kidnaped by Sendak, emblazoned on all of them. </p><p>Emerging atop behind a beam overlooking the group, he saw the fear place people, the men walk around in patterns, using their guns to Target whatever tried to escape and kill on sight. </p><p>Shiro went around the place's edge to see if he could sneak into the place from the rear. A person appeared in front of the group. "So who can tell me!" Came a voice suddenly.</p><p>He turned around, careful not to alert his presence, and saw the owner of the voice. A girl?!</p><p>She looked maybe two or three years younger than Shiro... if she was on Earth, she'd probably be in high school but she looks like a galra. </p><p>Her hair was cut in a bob style and she wore a red headband in her hair like a crown. She was wearing a purple jumpsuit with an oddly sexualized black leather kimono that was open wide in the chest and hardly covered half her thighs. She had large eyes and violet skin, her lips red like cherries. She could easily be said to be an idol or a model.</p><p>All of the springs surrounding her were attached to the fingers of both the girl's hands. She was standing atop one of the tightly stretched strands. It was reminiscent of a spider lying in wait for its prey atop its web.</p><p>Unlike Mistress Centipeetle and Sendak, is she a daemon and Galra!? </p><p>"So rebels, here to deliver the galra" the girl saying "I'm surprised that none of you were unable to see my Kushi no Kago". </p><p>Shiro examined the scene that was put upon him, the woman was treated like they were criminals on a train. </p><p>"Who are you?" Lian asked.</p><p>"Commander Twyla" she revealed, giving a bewitching smile. "But you don't have to remember it. Since this is the end for you," she declared calmly as she quickly moved the fingers of her right hand. The strands surrounding her glistened as if given a life of its own, wriggling around Lian like some kind of animal. </p><p>"They can't just do this!" Shiro said to himself, instinctively think of a plan. </p><p>"What to do, what to do!" A voice calls out. </p><p>"Romelle" Shiro recognizes that voice anywhere. She looks like she was having a nervous breakdown and holdings Stats. </p><p>"What's wrong" Shiro questioned. "What are you talking about!"</p><p>"I'm a failure, We have no idea what's going on, you're don't know how to use your powers and the only weapon I had is a staff".</p><p>"You can't say that you are not the type that gives up on yourself into every fight, no matter how hopeless it is". Said Shiro </p><p>"Ugh. Every decision I've made in the past days has almost gotten us killed. Coran's right, I'm not ready for this". Romelle told him</p><p>"No. You are not giving up now. I'm sorry Coran doesn't see how strong you are. You can do this, Romelle, and you're not alone". </p><p>"You're right, we need to the Crystal," Romelle said. </p><p>"Yeah...but I just gave it to Keith!" Shiro said </p><p>"What" Romelle's voice was so loud that alerted the men and their leader to their location. </p><p>Romelle snatched the young man's hand and began to through the lobby. "Hey, what are you doing" Shiro yelled. </p><p>"Come, Stats" Romelle called out. </p><p>The blue creature did as instructed, seconds before blaster bolts pitted the area where they'd been standing. </p><p>Pulling Shiro with her. Romelle caused even more chaos in the lobby. "Let go of me!" Shiro wrested his hand free but he didn't knock Romelle flat with it. </p><p>"Stats, stay close" Shiro ordered as they hurried into another room that appeared to be used as storage. </p><p>"They're shooting at both of us!" Shiro said, holding his breath.</p><p>"Yeah no kidding, I meant what were you thinking, give the crystal to Keith". Romelle said, trying to find an adequate weapon. </p><p>"Hey, I'm not the one who thinks I'm a God," Shiro told her </p><p>Romelle groan at the comment "any other weapons around here" </p><p>Just the thing they are safe, Stats spark an alarm, "Stats, what's wrong" Shiro said. </p><p>Stats' sudden alert, as just when it sounded like the soldiers had run past just at the moment that they were saved, has suddenly faded away when Stats zipped to the back of the closet.</p><p>"Get down" Shiro yelled as he grabbed Romelle to protect her. </p><p>"Hey, what are you doing," Romelle said</p><p>Her voice was the last he heard before the front door was getting slice by millions of threads. </p><p>The shockwave hurled Romelle off her feet and all of a sudden she covered by dust, she tried to dust herself and lifted Shiro off the ground. Through the partially collapsed door, she glimpsed the soldiers screaming overhead, pointing their guns on them. </p><p>She looked over at Shiro who shielded her from the unexpected attack, he lay on the back, trying to get up. He was telling the truth, the Galra didn't attack by Mercy, in fact to them mercy was a weakness, only victory or death is the only thing that they believe in. </p><p>"There you are" the woman known as Twyla, arrive in front of their faces with a look like a comforting mother.</p><p>Examined here, Shiro felt the fear and paranoia within himself. Despise this, he was still determined to save this place and the people within it. </p><p>"You better take your men and leave this place now!" Shiro said in a brave face but Twyla had other plans as she targets him with her treads, Shiro tried to instinctively cover his face, but Twyla's aim wasn't Shiro's body. A single strand moved quickly and slipped into Shiro's chest, taking hold of the charm bag that once containing the quintessence Crystal. </p><p>"Ah!" By the time he'd noticed, the charm bag was already in her's hand.</p><p>"What", she took a peek into the charm bag, but, "Oh my, what happened to the quintessence Crystal, where is it or shall I be cross" She had a look of astonishment as she scrutinized the bag</p><p>"I got rid of it" Shiro shouted forcefully.</p><p>"It doesn't matter, I'll look for it." Twyla calmly put the bag in her suit to the bag, then smirked. "Guards."</p><p>Falling her command the soldiers rushed at Shiro and Romelle who repairing an attack.</p><p>Twyla drew back reflexively. "Take care of them, I have to finish my unfinished business!"</p><p>"Yes, commander" </p><p>Twyla rushes off to ensure that everyone was captured and finished off, she went back for her strings. Naturally, there was a strand of hair tied around her fingers, manipulate them like they were an extension of her body</p><p>However, something was strange. She never felt anything hit. "Hm?!"</p><p>She looked at one of her fingers with the strand was moving. </p><p>Twyla stood on the edge and petered. "That's odd!" </p><p>She had no clue. That young man had to have been the reincarnated priestess who carried the quintessence Crystal that Twyla had learned about from Emperor Zarkon. Even though he was human, to be able to see Twyla's "Kushi no Kago", he had to have considerable magical powers.</p><p>"Well, none of my business anymore." Twyla shrugged her shoulders. she needed to find the quintessence Crystal so she can get it to Lord Zarkon. So who cared where that man went anymore. There was no reason to let it preoccupy him.</p><p>"All that's left is that deal with the leader, the traitor called Sokka. I'll have to take his head for myself." With a swoosh, Twyla gathered all of the threads surrounding her into her. This was starting to become interesting and fun.</p>
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